Harry Potter and the Sole Survivor
by Anione Graton
Summary: Cadence Cartwright thought her life was no longer worth living. That is, until she meets the one person she is destined to fall in love with and ultimately choose for life or for death.
1. The Fifth Year

A/N: It's all JK Rowling.  
  
This is my very first Harry Potter fan fiction! Please be kind to it. I originally wrote it for a class project, but then got so entranced I had to keep going. This story is very special to me and I put a lot of emotion into it. I don't if you will see it, but Cadence Cartwright is actually an extension of myself.  
  
There are a couple of things I have to point out-Yes, I am a HUGE H/G Shipper, but when I first started writing this, I wanted to go from a completely different angle. Instead of growing up with the girl he loves, Harry meets a mysterious stranger that he's immediately attracted to. I kind of like the notion. Also, I know that Astronomy classes are held on midnights one day a week in the books, but for the purposes of my story it is a daily class. I had the kids on a block schedule for my story, so it may not be accurate. Oh well.  
  
Chapter 1  
The Fifth Year  
  
A cool breeze shot through the cold streets of downtown London. Cadence Cartwright sat on the balcony of the new flat she stayed in with her grandmother. She felt the wind blow gently on her face.  
  
She couldn't believe it. Only days before she had had parents. Living, breathing parents, standing by her side, touching her and holding her. Yet now they were gone. They had disappeared just like everyone else. After years and years of pretending and hiding, thinking she could somehow escape. it was no use.  
  
They were gone, like everyone else always was.  
  
Cadence sighed heavily and stared into the black night. It had to have at least been midnight by the time she walked out onto the balcony. She had been out there for a fairly long time.  
  
She watched her breath fog in the crisp night air and held her place on the chair she was sitting on. The stars twinkled down at her, as if to reassure her that things would someday be okay. But they never would be again. Her parents were gone, and she was a fourteen-about-to-become-fifteen year-old girl who still needed guidance in the path she was taking.  
  
Cadence Cartwright was by no standards, an ordinary girl. She had grown up in a wizarding family. For the past four years of her life she had been trained by her mother and father the witch crafting skills in the privacy of their home.  
  
Now that her parents were gone, she didn't know what she was going to do. After the funeral, she had been sent to live with her grandmother in England. Her grandmother, a witch as well, was going to teach her the rest of what she needed to know. However, Cadence had been in London for over a week, and her grandmother had been so busy dealing with paperwork that she had ceased to begin any formal witch training.  
  
Cadence didn't mind that at all. She was full and willing to sit around and think. She wasn't sure how focused she could be on work anyway what with the thoughts she had swimming around in her head.  
  
She kept asking herself what she had done. She couldn't believe it. They had been so careful, they had been so sure, and they had avoided everything the first three times disaster had struck. Yet the fourth time it was finally over, and her parents' deaths had been the ending result.  
  
Even in the middle of August it was dead cold in the London air that night. Cadence swept her long, light blonde hair into a high ponytail and let her dark brown eyes shift all over the city. She was still amazed by all of it. Beforehand, she had lived with her parents in America. Tallahassee, Florida to be exact. Her parents were both born and raised in London, England, but had moved to America as soon as Cadence was born.  
  
It always struck her odd why they lived there when her parents talked of London as if it were the only place the sun shined down upon. She wanted desperately to go, but her parents had always refused taking her. She had inquired why they couldn't go on many occasions, but their answer was always short, garbled, and the subject was changed too quickly for her to know any different.  
  
It wasn't until the last fateful night that Cadence had learned the truth about all of what her parents had kept from her for fifteen years. It wasn't until that night that she had learned the reason she couldn't attend the same school of witchcraft and wizardry that her parents had attended in London. She also learned why she was what they called a "House Witch." She hated being thought of as the witch who stayed sheltered in her home for all of her training years, but she had no choice. She completely understood when her parents told her the circumstances that kept her under house arrest.  
  
And it wasn't like they couldn't contact the wizarding world. Their family owl, Sierra, was the trustworthiest and reliable source they had leading to that world. They received The Daily Prophet, the newspaper that was issued in the wizarding world, and often they found letters and inquiries to answer and deal with, ones that Cadence herself had never seen.  
  
Cadence always felt a large pit in her heart when she thought about what it could have been like to start school with her class.  
  
Her grandmother, being a witch herself, spoke of the wizarding world as if it were the home she always had, but Cadence knew that wasn't enough. It would have been completely different if she experienced it firsthand.  
  
Her parents had shown her pictures, told her stories, and given her details and great descriptions of the place called Hogwarts. She pictured what it would have been like being there her first year.  
  
She imagined going through the barrier at the train station, getting onto a large red train, arriving at the station, hopping into a rowboat and sailing over to Hogwarts for the Sorting Ceremony. She dreamed of being in the same house her father was in. Her mother had been in a separate house and she and Cadence's father had met at a house Quidditch match.  
  
Cadence smiled at the thought of Quidditch. Her father had been a Keeper for his house team, and her mother had been a Beater on her team. After the game, they had exchanged words and from there on, established a friendship. They allowed it to turn into something more when they left their seventh year at Hogwarts.  
  
For the four years that she had been trained in her witchcraft, her parents had included Quidditch. When they first told her about it, Cadence instantly knew she wanted to be a Chaser. She loved the sound of it and the glory that would come from being on a team.  
  
She had trained day and night with her father during the summer or when she wasn't studying for tests and quizzes. She had flown her broomstick in and out of the trees that dotted her backyard, carrying a heavy ball that somewhat resembled a Quaffle (the official ball of a Quidditch Chaser) and throwing it through hoops her father had built.  
  
Yet once the matching black caskets had been wheeled out together, Cadence knew her Quidditch days were over. The training sessions in the backyard with her broomstick and the wooden hoops her father had made were finished. She couldn't believe that after four years of practice, fun, smiles, and laughter, it was over so quickly.  
  
Sierra had come with her to her grandmother's and had remained by her side, not leaving for one second. She was a loyal bird and whenever Cadence was feeling particularly down, she would stroke Sierra's soft feathers for a while and suddenly feel at ease. She hadn't sent her bird out for any more packages or newspapers yet, but she knew she would when the time was right.  
  
Her broomstick, books, wand, and cauldron were all packed tightly away in her bedroom and she didn't have the heart to pull them all out just yet. It had only been a week and her grandmother had just begun to persuade her to get back into the normal swing of things. She encouraged her to start Quidditch training again, and Cadence had scoffed and replied, "To what purpose? I'll never be on any team."  
  
Cadence spent most of her time in her bedroom, thinking about her circumstances and about where her life was going to go now that she had no parents.  
  
She loved her witchcraft, her spells, her potions, and her Quidditch training. Everything about it made her feel good and want to know and learn more. She was constantly asking her parents to tell her about Hogwarts, about the classes, the Sorting Hat, the great feasts, the excitement of real live Quidditch matches, the students, the teachers, the houses, the Dark Forest, the ghosts, and all that had to do with the wizarding world. Gringotts, Ollivanders, Flourish and Blott's, and the rest of Diagon Alley. She constantly wanted to hear about it. The mere tales made all of her training and learning worth the while.  
  
Of course there was the dark side to Hogwarts and its magic, the stuff she didn't want to hear and her parents didn't want to discuss it. It became evident the night they had died the reason they didn't want to talk about the dark part of Hogwarts.  
  
Cadence felt a cold tear creep down her face and noticed behind her that a light had switched on inside of her grandmother's flat. The door flew open and her grandmother, a tall, thin woman with her graying blonde hair kept swiftly out of her face and her large brown eyes concealed by glasses, stared at her impatiently.  
  
"What do you think you're doing out here in the middle of the night?" came her hoarse, English accent. Her grandmother's tone always had a way of staying neutral. "Are you crazy? Do you want to catch cold?" she walked slowly toward her granddaughter and held out her warm, aged hand for Cadence to grasp onto. "I don't know why you come out here like you do, Cadie," she began, leading the younger girl into her room.  
  
Cadence rolled her eyes. "Don't call me Cadie," she snapped.  
  
Her grandmother went on as if she hadn't heard her. "You've got to realize that all things happen for a reason. That's the way it always has been and the way it's going to be. I want you to stay inside and please, get some rest. You need to start getting back in the swing of things tomorrow. We can't have you running around as an untrained witch, now can we?"  
  
Her grandmother smiled, kissed her cheek, and walked out of the bedroom. She stopped and then turned around again. "Goodnight, my love. I've left your mail on your desk. Please open it and tell me what you think tomorrow."  
  
The door closed and the light flickered off. Cadence walked over to her lamp and turned it on, gazing at the letters on her desk. She didn't want to open any of them. She knew there were just a bunch of messages from her friends back home, saying how sorry they were and claiming they missed her "so" much. She didn't have the energy to deal with it. However, her curiosity got the best of her and she strolled over carefully to see whom the letters were from, with no intention of opening them.  
  
The first three were from Sarah Black, her best friend in Florida. She had the same perfect, loopy cursive letters that she always had. Beneath her three letters was a letter from Phoebe Lee, another good friend of hers. Phoebe's felt light, and it didn't surprise her. Phoebe was never much of a deep thinker, and her letter was probably the "Hi, how are you, I'm good, sorry about your parents, wish you were here, love Phoebe," type.  
  
Underneath Phoebe's letter was one from Damien Brookes, an ex-boyfriend best friend she had back in Florida, and his letter was bound to be long. She smiled to herself when she saw the chicken scratch he had written on the letter and set it aside  
  
The letter under Damien's however, was what caught Cadence's attention. It was in a square, beige envelope, as opposed to the white rectangular envelopes her friends had written to her in. On the up side, all she could make out was her name, "Ms. C. Cartwright" and as she turned the card over in her hand, her excitement grew. She broke the official looking seal keeping the letter contained and pulled the parchment out.  
  
Underneath the same seal she had seen on the outside of the envelope, the letter read:  
  
"Dear Ms. Cartwright,  
  
We are pleased to inform you, that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.  
  
The circumstances surrounding your four years absence from Hogwarts has been taken into regard, therefore, upon your arrival, your stature in Hogwarts will remain as thus given to you by your legal witch training guardian(s).  
  
As a fifth year student, you shall still be required to report to the Chamber of Reception upon arrival, on the First of September.  
  
Please ensure that the utmost attention be made to the list of requirements attached herewith.  
  
We very much look forward to receiving you as a part of the new generation of Hogwarts' Heritage.  
  
Draco Dormiens Nunquam Titillandos  
  
Professor Minerva McGonagall  
  
Deputy Headmistress."  
  
Cadence stared at the letter in disbelief. Was this real? She was going to Hogwarts, skipping to year five, and perhaps graduating from the same Wizarding School her parents had graduated from? The greatest Wizarding School in her family's opinion?  
  
She closed her eyes and couldn't believe her luck. Was this what her grandmother had been working on for that entire week she hadn't been teaching her? Was she writing to Hogwarts and asking if Cadence could attend her final three years of witch training? Was she actually going to allow Cadence's dream to come true?  
  
Tears stung at her eyes, and this time, they weren't tears of remorse, regret, and sorrow. They were tears of complete and utter joy. 


	2. Our Table

Chapter 2  
Our Table  
  
"Now, do you have everything you need? Did you make sure to feed Sierra before you put her in her cage? Did you get all the things you have on your list? Did you bring your broomstick? Did you get your wand?"  
  
A million questions were being fired at Cadence as she began to pack up her things and get onto the platform. She would soon be getting on the train that would take her to Hogwarts.  
  
Her grandmother was firing off her questions to make sure she was prepared as she led her through the train station.  
  
"I think I've got a handle on it, Grandma," Cadence said, a roll of her eyes and a wide smile on her face. She couldn't handle her excitement. It was boiling and ready to culminate. She turned to her grandmother. "This is it," she sighed happily, staring at her.  
  
Her grandmother gave her a small smile and shook her head. "I know it's silly to be crying at a time like this, but you're going off to Hogwarts... just like your mother..." she said with a sigh, wiping her eyes. "Now you remember how to get on the Platform, don't you?"  
  
Cadence nodded, her blonde hair flying in her eyes while she did so. "I'll be okay, Grandma, I think I've got a handle on things."  
  
Her grandmother nodded and touched her shoulder gently. "Of course you will be. Your mother was, as well," she said, and wrapped her arms lovingly around the younger girl. She held her tightly and cried onto her shoulder. "This is silly," her grandmother sighed. "You're coming back in the winter and I'll be sending you mail all the time."  
  
Cadence smiled at her, gave her a kiss goodbye, and pushed her trolley toward the platforms between nine and ten. Already standing there was a large family of redheads, including a tall, dark haired boy in glasses, and a pretty girl with dark, bushy hair and masses of books on her trolley. She carefully pushed her trolley up behind the large herd and waited patiently for what they were going to do.  
  
Cadence looked at the clock and saw that they only had five minutes to board the train. They had to get to the train, load all their stuff on, and find a good seat before it departed. Two of the redheaded family went on. They were a tall, awkward teenager and a much younger looking redheaded girl. They disappeared through the barrier and the last to go on was the dark haired boy. The plump woman, who appeared to be the mother of all the redheads turned toward Cadence and smiled brightly.  
  
"Getting on the platform, dear?" she asked in her southern English accent.  
  
"Yes," Cadence said, smiling cheekily.  
  
"I'm Molly Weasley, and this is my husband Arthur," she said, gesturing toward the tall, balding redheaded man behind her. "We can't stand around getting acquainted right now, can we? Why don't you get on the platform with Hermione there?"  
  
Cadence smiled at her and then turned to the girl who had been waiting patiently with her trolley.  
  
"Hermione?" Cadence asked.  
  
"Yes, we can meet and greet on the platform," Hermione said, smiling sweetly at her.  
  
Cadence nodded and ran toward the wall with Hermione, pushing her cart alongside her. They ran through the wall and onto the platform, where a large scarlet train was gearing up to take off to Hogwarts.  
  
Cadenced looked at everything in complete awe. She had never seen anything so magnificent in all her life. Other witch and wizard students were scattered around the platform, loading their belongings and luggage onto the train, and stepping on to find their seats.  
  
"Hermione Granger," said the female voice right behind her. She whirled around and faced the girl she had gotten onto the platform with. She extended her hand and Cadence took it. "I'm a sixth year, are you a first?"  
  
"Cadence Cartwright," she said, and Hermione's expression changed. "I'm a fifth year."  
  
"You're Cadence?" Hermione asked, her jaw dropping. "I thought you were dead!"  
  
"DEAD?" Cadence yelled suddenly. "I'm not..." and it all came flooding back to her. She stared at Hermione for a couple of seconds. "Does... everyone know?"  
  
Hermione shrugged. "I know."  
  
Cadence stared after the girl as she walked toward the train to get her baggage taken care of. She followed her after a moment of hesitation and allowed them to handle all of her things. Hermione turned toward her and smiled sympathetically. "This way!" she called.  
  
Cadence followed again, still staring at the Platform in awe. She couldn't believe how wonderful it all looked. She stepped onto the train and followed Hermione into the back car of the train. It was empty.  
  
"Seems that Ron and Harry haven't found their way back here yet," she commented, sitting herself down and making herself comfortable.  
  
"Who?" Cadence asked, sitting down across from her and managing to settle into the seat.  
  
Hermione opened her mouth to respond and was cut off when she heard the stomping footsteps and loud cackles of the two boys Cadence recognized from the barrier.  
  
A tall, slim redheaded boy with bright blue eyes sat down next to Hermione and they exchanged a glance that made Cadence melt all over. The boy who had arrived with the redhead was standing outside, talking to someone and then the curtain opened and he stepped in.  
  
He was tall, a bit shorter than the redhead and not quite as lanky. He was wearing beat up jeans and a red sweater. His jet-black hair was untidy to the point of being adorable, whereas others would have perceived it to be disgusting. His bright green eyes were not concealed, but brought out by the thin, wire rimmed glasses sitting atop his nose. He stared at Cadence as well she stared at him.  
  
He gazed at the new, unfamiliar face he saw sitting across from Ron and Hermione. She had long, light blonde hair that framed her sweet, heart shaped face. Her brown eyes twinkled as she stared back at him. Her full, pink lips turned up in a warm, inviting smile.  
  
"Hello," she whispered in a tinkling voice.  
  
His lips spread apart to reveal a full white-toothed smile and Cadence felt her knees go weak. He walked toward her and sat down, not removing the gaze he held with her eyes.  
  
"Your name, love?" he asked.  
  
"Cadence Cartwright."  
  
"Harry Potter."  
  
Cadence recognized the name immediately. "Oh wow... I've heard that name..." she said and he only smiled and snickered.  
  
"Who hasn't?"  
  
They exchanged glances. She extended her hand to him and was shocked to see it shaking. "Nice to meet you... Harry Potter."  
  
Harry couldn't help noticing her hand shaking, and felt his tremble as he lifted it to shake hers. He also couldn't help thinking that he had heard her name as well. "Nice to meet you, too... Cadence Cartwright."  
  
Ron and Hermione looked up after a while and stared at the two across the car from them. They didn't miss the look they were giving each other or the fact that neither of them was speaking at all. They also hadn't missed the fact that after shaking hands, their clasped fingers hadn't parted from each other.  
  
Ron suddenly broke the silence of the car and leaned over toward Cadence. "I'm Ron Weasley, by the way. I didn't catch your name."  
  
Cadence broke her stare from Harry and looked at Ron. "Cadence Cartwright," she answered, allowing her hand to break from Harry's and shaking Ron's.  
  
Harry recognized the look on Ron's face as the exact same one he had given him when he found out he was Harry Potter. "Cadence... Cartwright. Wow."  
  
Cadence looked at Ron uneasily. "What do you mean. wow?"  
  
"I mean. you're Cadence Cartwright. Wow."  
  
Hermione gave Ron a jab to his arm and he shot her a glare. "What?"  
  
She cleared her throat and he shrugged his shoulders, looking back down at his lap.  
  
Harry and Cadence turned back and gazed at each other for a few more minutes before their stare and an intruder broke in Ron and Hermione's conversation.  
  
"Who is this Potter? Your new girlfriend? What ever happened to the little Weasley girl?"  
  
Cadence suddenly felt her skin crawl just hearing the voice that penetrated the room that next second. She looked up in the doorway to see a tall, pale boy with blond hair and dim blue eyes. He had a sharp, pointed chin and his robes were different from Ron, Hermione's, and Harry's. Instead of a Gryffindor patch, he wore a Slytherin one. She glared at him, knowing from the depths of her soul that he was not a good person.  
  
Harry turned around and shot daggers at the boy standing in the door. "Go away, Malfoy."  
  
The boy acted as though he hadn't heard Harry, now advancing in the room toward Cadence. "Don't you mingle with the likes of them, my dear. Potter here is nothing but a chauvinist who flaunts his fame more than his wizardry," he said, sneering at Harry. He turned toward the two behind him and then back to Cadence. "And a Weasley? You'd dare consort with the likes of a simple peasant?" the boy shook his head and glared at her, stepping forward. "I won't even mention the Mudblood."  
  
Ron jumped up, infuriated by the word he had just called Hermione. "That's it, Malfoy! One more word and I'll."  
  
Malfoy turned, glaring at Ron. "And you'll what? Zap yourself and vomit slugs again?"  
  
Ron turned almost as red as his hair. He pulled out his wand and muttered, "I wouldn't give you the satisfaction."  
  
"No?" Malfoy asked, advancing on Ron, pulling out his own wand.  
  
"Ron." Hermione growled in a low tone of warning behind him.  
  
He ignored her and continued to stand up for himself against Malfoy. "I will not have you speaking to Hermione that way."  
  
Malfoy rolled his eyes. "Must we go over this again, Weasley? Sticking up for that Mudblood-"  
  
But before Malfoy could even answer, Ron had screamed out 'Averte stets!' and had sent Malfoy flying into the back wall.  
  
"RON!" Hermione screamed, jumping up. "What are you doing?" she screamed. "You can't do magic on the train! You'll get us into trouble!"  
  
Ron stared at Malfoy, who had been knocked into the wall so hard he had dropped his wand and had been knocked unconscious. He whipped around toward Hermione. "You heard him, Hermione! He called you a truly heinous name! A foul name indeed!"  
  
Hermione half smiled at Ron, pleased that he had stuck up for her, but upset about what he had done to Malfoy. "Well, I suppose we can just wake him up and get him out of here. The sooner he's gone the better."  
  
Once Ron and Hermione had revived Malfoy, he had uttered a few curse words, and left, giving Cadence an odd glance before leaving.  
  
She stared out the doorway he had left and then saw that Ron was still fuming. Hermione took Ron's hand in an effort to calm him down.  
  
"Who was that?" she asked, not taking her eyes off the doorway.  
  
"Draco Malfoy," Harry answered, his voice dripping with loathing and disrespect. "No one for you to care about."  
  
"He seems downright evil to me. No wonder he's in Slytherin," she muttered.  
  
Harry smiled at her, allowing himself to gaze at her a bit before asking, "If you're a fifth year, how is it that I've never seen you before? I'd like to think I know just about everyone here at Hogwarts."  
  
Cadence smirked, avoiding the gaze of Harry's bright, green eyes. "It's not much, really. I've just. well. transferred."  
  
Ron and Hermione exchanged a glance. They had heard the uneasy tone in Cadence's voice.  
  
"Transferred?" Harry frowned and then looked over at Ron and Hermione. They were giving him a stare that told him not to push. He sat back and allowed himself to relax against the seat. Once Cadence found that he was at ease, she allowed peace to come over her as well. The conversation between the two on the other side of the train car continued quietly and Harry remained silent. Cadence shifted in her seat and put her head on the window.  
  
"Anything off the trolley?" came the voice outside their car. The four heads shifted quickly toward the door, and an old witch with a trolley cart full of goods stood outside, smiling brightly.  
  
"No thank you," Ron and Hermione chimed at the exact same time. They looked at each other and burst out laughing.  
  
"I'll take something," Harry said, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a few Sickles. He took some things, handed the money to the witch, and sat back down.  
  
She looked in and smiled sweetly at Cadence. "Anything for you, dear?"  
  
Cadence dug into her pocket and found nothing. She looked down, embarrassed, and answered, "No thank you."  
  
The trolley rolled away and Harry sat next to her, letting his treats fall from his arms. "Cadence?" he whispered.  
  
She looked up and Harry noticed that she hastily wiped a tear from her face. "Yes?" she answered.  
  
He thought nothing of it, knowing she probably wouldn't say anything if he asked. "Would you like something?"  
  
She looked down at the piles of candy goods, and knew that one mere boy couldn't possibly eat all of it. She looked back up at him and smiled. "I'll take some chocolate, if you have it."  
  
Harry handed her a box of his chocolate and watched as she ate it in haste and pleasure. "Thank you," she whispered, avoiding Harry's sparkling eyes and looking back out the window.  
  
The train stopped not too long later, and the students all filed off one by one. Cadence looked down at her feet as she walked off by herself. She had been told that she would have to go on the boats with Hagrid and the other first years, so she could be sorted with them.  
  
Hermione stepped up beside Cadence and whispered, "There's nothing to be worried about. We don't bite, honestly."  
  
Harry smiled as Cadence looked up and laughed. The entire ride on the train he hadn't seen her fully smile, and now that he had, he felt almost weak. She looked so beautiful when she opened her mouth and exposed her wide, wonderful smile. She looked completely happy, like nothing could ever hurt her or spoil her mood. She appeared to be in high spirits.  
  
Yet it wasn't something that she felt.  
  
A large man with bushy black hair and a long black beard held up a lantern, yelling in a deep, booming voice, "Alrigh then, firs years! This way! C'mon now, don' be shy!"  
  
Cadence watched as the small, scared looking first years walked over toward the large man (which she could only think to be Rubeus Hagrid) and she started to walk toward him.  
  
Harry saw how she fearfully stepped over, as Ron and Hermione waited for Harry to join them in going to the carriages that would take them to the castle.  
  
He looked back at his two friends, smiled, and walked over to Cadence. He took her hand and she looked up at him in surprise.  
  
"Like Hermione said, no one's going to bite you," Harry whispered in her ear, leading her toward Hagrid.  
  
"Firs years!" he kept yelling, and suddenly looked down, a smile appearing on his weathered face. "Hi there, Harry, aren ya s'posed to be goin in the carriages?"  
  
"Yes, Hagrid," Harry answered. "But I wanted you to meet my friend Cadence Cartwright. She's new and a bit nervous."  
  
Hagrid looked down at the girl, who caught his eye maybe twice.  
  
"Oh hi there, Cadence," Hagrid said, extending a large palm toward the small girl. "Rubeus Hagrid. I'm a teacher 'ere," he said boastfully, obviously very happy about this. "I've 'eard all 'bout ya, don' worry. Nothing 'ere gonna 'arm ya."  
  
Cadence nodded, looking back down. Harry gave her hand a squeeze and whispered in her ear. "Don't worry about this. It's nothing. I'll be at the table, cheering you on."  
  
She smiled at him and then looked back down.  
  
He grabbed her chin and made her look up. "And stop looking down! I'm not impressed at all with it."  
  
A larger smile suddenly crept to her face and she stared into Harry's wide green eyes. Impressed? Why should I have to impress him? she thought wildly to herself.  
  
He stared into her large, wondering brown eyes and knew that whoever this girl really was, she was in desperate need of love and assistance in her newly acquired life at Hogwarts.  
  
"I'll be waiting at our table," he said, whispering, and with one last hand squeeze, he was gone.  
  
"Our table?" 


	3. Place for Friendship

Chapter 3  
Place for Friendship  
  
The boat ride was less than enjoyable for a girl who loomed above the other scared looking eleven-year-olds in the boats. Cadence glanced about wearily, not sure what to say or do. She only wanted to get to the castle, get sorted, and hopefully cling to the only three people she knew. People she didn't know very well at that.  
  
The lanterns on the tops of the boats only allowed the students' view to go so far. The murky water looked almost pitch black as the large Hogwarts castle came into view. Suddenly, it was as if all of Cadence's problems had vanished.  
  
It was just as beautiful as her parents had described if not more so. It was a great thing, looming above the dark water with its brightly lit windows, large acreage, magnificent scenery and eerie luminescence. It had to be the most beautiful thing Cadence had seen since the night her parents had been taken away from her. other than the acceptance letter.  
  
She gulped as they came upon it, and without warning, the boats stopped. To her own surprise, she found herself climbing out and onto dry land, following the large man known as Hagrid up the way and into the castle of Hogwarts.  
  
Her heart fell into the pit of her stomach the more she continued to walk. Nothing could have prepared her for the way she felt when she walked into the castle that would be her home for the next three years of her life.  
  
Hagrid continued to show the first years where they would be going, and Cadence caught the glimpse of a witch who appeared stern and strict. She had her hair pulled into a tight bun with small spectacles perched on her nose. She was tapping her fingers lightly on the banister next to her, waiting patiently for the first years to make their way up the stairs.  
  
They watched Hagrid disappear as they took their place in front of the professor. She told them about their first year at Hogwarts. She explained the houses, Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin, told them about the sorting ceremony, the points, the house cup, and the fact that the sorting ceremony was beginning at any minute.  
  
The doors to the Great Hall opened and Cadence saw almost one thousand heads turn her way, staring at her attentively. She saw four tables set up, all of which contained students in matching black robes. They watched as the swarm of first year students made their way feebly to the front of the room, where a table of what appeared to be professors sat at, watching just as intensely. Perched in front were a stool and a ratted sorcerer's hat.  
  
Cadence stepped up toward the stool, looking at the hat with disgust. It had to have certainly gone through the ringer to look as hideous as it did, and she could only wonder excitedly what its purpose was.  
  
"When I call your name, I will place the Sorting Hat upon your head and you'll join your houses," she instructed, holding up a roll of parchment, holding the dusty hat in her fingers, calling off the first name. "Alexander, Daniel."  
  
A meek blond boy stepped up to the stool, sitting down and visibly shivering as the hat went onto his head. All of a sudden, it began to move and a smile crept up Cadence's face. Long before had her parents told her stories of the Sorting Hat, and how it had stunned them so much their first year that it was extremely amusing from then on to watch scared new students be sorted.  
  
"HUFFLEPUFF!" the hat yelled.  
  
"Benson, Tyler."  
  
Cadence watched and felt her heart beat within her chest. She was coming up soon.  
  
"RAVENCLAW!"  
  
"Bringer, Sarah."  
  
Cadence gulped and looked behind her at the tables. There was mild clapping after each student was placed. She couldn't spot anyone she had met from the train, and didn't know what she had gotten herself into.  
  
Our table.  
  
"Bund, Merry."  
  
She kicked at her feet a little more, feeling out of place. She was the tallest one in the whole group and yet she had to be the most nervous. She felt like everyone had been staring at her and only her. The way Ron had looked at her on the train was enough to unnerve her altogether.  
  
"Cartwright, Cadence."  
  
There was an instant silence, and it scared Cadence to no end. She stepped up onto the stool and felt the large hat slip over her ears and past her eyes. She felt her heart pound within the walls of her chest so madly she was sure it would burst out. Then the hat did something it hadn't done with the students before her.  
  
"Hmm." it breathed into her ear. She felt apprehensive almost automatically.  
  
"Let's see. this is almost hard. but I'll have to go with. GRYFFINDOR!"  
  
She breathed a sigh of relief and jumped off of her stool, heading for the table she knew had to be it. Overhead, the flags were scarlet and gold, bearing the symbol of a lion.  
  
And as she approached the table, she saw the glittering eyes and wonderful smile that had told her where to sit all along.  
  
Our table.  
  
She sat down, smiling at the bushy haired Hermione, sitting next to Ron a couple seats across from her. Ron held out his hand for her to shake in congratulations and Harry did the same. He winked at her, knowing what she was thinking, because he had been thinking it as well.  
  
The Sorting Ceremony seemed to take ages from there, and all Cadence could now think about was eating.  
  
She stared longingly at the dwindling line of first years, hoping it was over soon.  
  
The headmaster of the school, Professor Albus Dumbledore stood up, gave his usual speech and start of term notices, then with a wave of his hand announced, "Let the feast. begin."  
  
The food appeared in front of them and Cadence managed to get her hands on every bit she could.  
  
Ron looked at Cadence in amusement. They looked almost identical as they grabbed the food and piled it onto their plates as if they hadn't eaten in over a year.  
  
"Hungry, Cadence?"  
  
Cadence looked up and saw that Ron had a large smile on his face. She noticed his plate piled as high with food as hers was.  
  
"Just a little bit," she said, smiling back.  
  
Harry looked at the two happily. It was one thing to see Ron joking around and being happy, but it was something he had witnessed before. He had yet to see Cadence smile more than twice in the few hours he had already known her.  
  
He watched her throughout all of dinner, making friends with the new first years, and the students that were all her age and up. She seemed to be hitting it off with everyone quite well, and when she looked up to see Harry's wonderful green eyes twinkling at her, she turned pink.  
  
The feast continued on and when it was over and done with, the first years were led up to their house towers, received the password, and went to bed. The next day at breakfast, they would be served with their course schedule, and Cadence had been instructed to report to the head of whatever house she was in (which would be Professor McGonagall) and pick out the courses she wished to take, being a fifth year.  
  
She followed the Gryffindor prefect up the steps and was warned about the changing staircases. She stared around in awe at the wonderful moving paintings and smiled at the memory of her mom's voice, "And they waved at us and everything! It was quite extraordinary!"  
  
She was on her way up the steps when she felt the jerkiness as the stairs moved out from under her. She looked around at the other fearful first years, who clung to the railings for dear life.  
  
"Not to worry," the prefect yelled. "They're just changing. When the staircase stops, we'll proceed back to our prior destination."  
  
Cadence heaved a loud sigh, watching with enjoyment the changing of the scenery below her. The staircase jerked to a stop and Cadence followed the group as they took the turns they wouldn't have normally taken in their circumstances.  
  
They continued walking for what seemed like forever when finally, they came upon a gigantic portrait of a large, distinguished looking woman in a pink dress. "Password?" she asked with certain poise.  
  
"Amare cadere."  
  
The portrait slowly creaked open, revealing a vast space where chairs and couches were set up around a crackling fire. Windows along the side of the room rose up to the ceiling, and there were two stairwells beyond the room.  
  
The prefect stopped in the middle of the room and began to talk. "This is the Gryffindor Common Room. The boys' dormitories are up the stairs to your left, the girls' dorms are up the stairs to your right. Your belongings have already been brought up. Your course schedules will be handed out tomorrow at breakfast. Go upstairs and get a good night's sleep. Classes start first thing tomorrow."  
  
The crowd dispersed and Cadence found herself looking around the Common Room with a great admiration. It was here that so much had happened prior to her life. Her parents had gotten engaged in this very room, in front of the fire, staring into each other's eyes.  
  
Cadence looked at the ceiling. She wanted her parents by her side. She missed them more than anything. Her thoughts constantly dwindled back to them in whatever she was doing. Even looking at Harry, she thought about her parents.  
  
And that thought shocked her more than anything. Where had Harry come from? The thought of him seemed to have sprung out of nowhere. She sighed, looking down at her now quivering hands, cursing herself for being so formidably stupid. She was thinking about a person that she had only met that night and would probably not talk too much once attending Hogwarts.  
  
And just as she had begun to think it, the portrait hole opened and Hermione, Ron, and Harry stepped in, laughing about something.  
  
Cadence looked past her as her long, pale blonde hair swept in front of her eyes. She now realized that with the exception of the three who had just entered, she was the only person in the common room.  
  
She cleared her throat and sweeping her hair past her shoulders, walked toward the right staircase.  
  
"Cadence?"  
  
The voice was soft and gentle, and unmistakably Harry's. She felt the tremble of excitement when her name was said and she turned around on her heel to face him.  
  
She was obviously very distracted by what she was thinking. Harry noticed the cloudiness set in her dark eyes as she headed for the dorms. He had been meaning to talk to her ever since the Ceremony, but hadn't been able to get a word in edgeways as she made new friends. He couldn't stop himself from looking at her though. He would glance at her and watch her smile, talk, and engage in conversation with the utmost interest. He couldn't believe that this was the same girl he had sat with on the train who'd barely looked at him.  
  
He stared at her in amazement the entire time he had been eating. He suddenly wanted to know everything about her.  
  
"Harry?" she whispered back in a voice she didn't recognize as her own.  
  
The two stared at each other for an uncomfortably long period of time. Harry realized that his hand was still on her shoulder.  
  
"Um. I just wanted to talk to you," he said softly.  
  
"Oh," she said sheepishly, turning bright pink.  
  
He noticed her uneasiness and smiled at her reassuringly. "What are you so nervous about?" he asked her.  
  
She looked up and then away from him again, shrugging. "I-I don't know. I guess I'm a little nervous about starting at an actual school. I haven't ever been in a school."  
  
Both Cadence's and Harry's eyes went wide when she told him what she had told him, and both for different reasons. Harry was surprised that being a fifth year, she had never been in school. What did that mean? Was there some sort of reason?  
  
Cadence couldn't believe she had actually said anything to him about it. She had opened her mouth and revealed a bit of her past to the one person she didn't want knowing.  
  
Why didn't she want Harry to know about it? Why did she have to hold it back at all? She knew of Harry Potter and she knew of what had become of his family. It had all happened the night that her parents had moved to America from London, and hadn't gone back. They were very close in that aspect, so why shouldn't he know? He had suffered the same traumatic loss she had. Why couldn't she let him in?  
  
"- Uh. uh. what I meant was-"  
  
"- You, you shouldn't uh. be-"  
  
"- I, I should probably go to. um-"  
  
"- Yeah, um. you can um-"  
  
They finally both ceased talking and stared at each other for what seemed like hours. Finally, Cadence whispered, "Goodnight, Harry," turned around, and fled to her bedroom.  
  
Harry watched her back retreating up the stairs and turned to face his two friends. They had been taking the whole scene in with great interest. He shrugged it off as they gave him a knowing look. He smiled meekly at them and then looked back up the stairs at her.  
  
"Don't go after her, Harry," Hermione warned after a few seconds of silence. "She wouldn't like it. Give her some time."  
  
Harry sighed, staring back up the stairs at her and finally choosing not to do what he had wanted. He turned back around and whispered, "She'll tell me."  
  
"Wait for it, Harry," Ron whispered back.  
  
"She'll tell you when she's ready," Hermione told him again.  
  
Harry sighed one more time before going up the stairs to his own bed. "When she's ready."  
  
He went upstairs to his dorm, took off his robes, got into his pajamas, and didn't get to sleep until late that night. He had been up thinking about Cadence, her eyes, her smile. and her held back way of talking to people. He wanted to break her free, and he knew there was something she was keeping hidden. It was something dark, something secret, and he wanted to know what it was. Not just for the sake of knowing.  
  
But maybe so he could capture that part of her soul.  
  
Classes started almost first thing after breakfast the next morning. Cadence found that she was going to have ten classes, and her jaw dropped at the choices she was given. However, she found it quite easy to pick what she wanted to do, because she already had her witch career in mind.  
  
The normal required classes were on her course schedule already. Defense Against the Dark Arts, Potions, Transfiguration, Herbology, Astronomy, Charms, and History of Magic were on the list, and that only left her three extra choices to choose from. She decided to take Care of Magical Creatures, because she knew she was interested in the subject as it was. She chose to take Divination because it sounded interesting enough, and she also jotted down Muggle Studies. It was a very practical class to take, especially since she had grown up in a Muggle neighborhood but with witch parents. It was probably better for her that she knew what to do when the time came.  
  
She received her fully finished course and made her way to her first class, Herbology, with the Hufflepuffs.  
  
She ran into the classroom late, clutching her black satin book bag and breathing heavily. The lot of the class looked up at her strangely, and a red haired girl seated toward the front with the Gryffindor patch on her robe gave her an encouraging smile and beckoned for her to come closer.  
  
She walked over as the students turned back to the teacher, Professor Sprout, as she began that day's lesson.  
  
Cadence smiled at the girl as she sat down next to her and buried her face in her hands. She could hear the girl laugh and ask in an assured voice, "You're new here, right?"  
  
Cadence looked up and smiled even wider when she answered, "Yeah, how did you know?"  
  
"I saw you get placed with the first years. I knew you couldn't have been one, you looked far too tall," she said, chuckling.  
  
Cadence laughed too. "Cadence Cartwright," she whispered, offering her hand.  
  
The girl's brown eyes opened widely, taking her in. "Oh. so you're. okay."  
  
Cadence didn't want to think about how everyone knew her name. It was still too painful.  
  
"Yes, yes, I am Cadence," she answered, as if knowing exactly what this girl was talking about.  
  
"All right. Well, I'm Ginny, Ginny Weasley."  
  
Cadence frowned a bit, knowing she had heard the name before. "Weasley. do you have a brother?"  
  
Ginny's head tipped back as she laughed heartily. "Which one? I have six. Ron, you mean," she said, giving Cadence a large, reassuring smile. "You know Harry Potter?"  
  
Ginny didn't miss how Cadence turned bright pink at the mere mention of the boy's name. "Sort of."  
  
The red haired girl smiled all too knowingly at Cadence and shook her head. "He's quite a nice boy, to be perfectly honest. He sometimes spends summers over at my house, The Burrow. He's quite pleasant as a matter of fact. Very sweet."  
  
Cadence hid behind her hair, but unfortunately it was too pale to hide the dark crimson color she had turned. Why am I acting like I'm only ten? I am fifteen years old! Why am I behaving this way when I talk about this boy? This unimportant boy?  
  
"Now class," Professor Sprout interrupted Cadence's thoughts and she thanked her silently for it. "We're going to be dealing with these charmed- karibus plants momentarily. Do remember please, that if you do handle them for too long, their magic will begin to work its way on you and will taint you. You are to dig up the karibus, put it in the green pots and fill it with sod immediately. If you do not, you will start to feel a tingling in your arm, and if you do, put the plant in the pot and come see me promptly. You may begin," she said, waving them off.  
  
Cadence turned to Ginny; confused almost for the first time ever in her studying of witchcraft and Ginny shook her head. "Don't sweat it. It really isn't all that hard once you start getting the hang of it."  
  
Cadence nodded in understanding, and started to do exactly what the professor had told them to do, and found that after a while she was really starting to get the hang of it. She watched as a few students became enchanted by the plants and floated their way to the front of the classroom almost instantly.  
  
Ginny smiled at her friend's nervous hands and whispered, "I've been enchanted by these before. She makes it sound so terrible, but all it does is put you in a dreamy state of being. If you're not cured right away, you float around daydreaming, and most professors can spot it almost immediately. You'd be sent straight to the hospital wing."  
  
She nodded, still a bit nervous and continued with her work. The bell sounded for the next class to begin, and Ginny helped her straighten up all of her things before going on.  
  
"What is your course schedule?" she asked curiously.  
  
Cadence fished around in her pocket for it and handed it to her. Ginny looked it over and nodded. "We have practically all of our classes together."  
  
"Which ones don't we?" she inquired, putting the paper back in her bag.  
  
"Care of Magical Creatures and Divination," she answered. "I'm definitely taking Muggle Studies because my brothers don't even know how to use a common Muggle telephone. I figure one person in the household besides my father should know something."  
  
Cadence smiled. "What are you taking then?"  
  
"Arithmancy and Ancient Runes," she told her. "I like Hagrid and everything, but I don't fancy taking care of the wild creatures Hagrid likes to pet."  
  
Cadence's grin grew steadily wider. "He plays with wild creatures?"  
  
Ginny's eyes were wide as she nodded, for more emphasis. "Oh definitely. He fancies three-headed dogs, dragons, hippogriffs, blast-ended skrewts."  
  
Ginny was cut off by Cadence's loud shrill of amusement. "HIPPOGRIFFS!" she yelled at the top of her lungs, causing several people to turn her way.  
  
"You like these creatures?" Ginny asked in amazement.  
  
Cadence shrugged. "I was brought up in a very sheltered witch world. I never got to see any of these creatures firsthand. They're really quite fascinating to me. I've seen the pictures of them, but never one close up."  
  
"Well you'll really enjoy Hagrid's class won't you?" her friend said with a smile. "We have Transfiguration next, so don't get your hopes up about it just yet."  
  
Cadence nodded and stared at the ground as they continued to walk. They made it to Transfiguration within a matter of minutes, and Cadence found herself in the middle of a very lengthy, almost proper looking classroom. Babbling fifth years surrounded her. The teacher appeared to be nowhere in sight.  
  
A few minutes later, a gray and black tabby cat appeared from the inner door of the classroom and the students 'oohed' and 'ahed' to Cadence's surprise. She looked around for any sign of a teacher and then whispered to Ginny, "Where's the professor?"  
  
Ginny only stared straight ahead and Cadence turned in time to see the cat change into the exact professor that had placed the Sorting Hat on her head. She gave a small smile to the students clapping around the classroom and pointed at the board. "Students, as you know, in your fifth year, you will be taking your O.W.L.s. Don't expect anything short of a very heavy workload this year."  
  
The students groaned and shifted in the classroom for a few seconds and Cadence shakily raised her hand.  
  
"Yes, Miss Cartwright?" Professor McGonagall asked.  
  
She shifted uncomfortably under her stare and then spoke up, "What do you do if you've already taken your O.W.L.s?"  
  
The entire classroom became eerily silent as they all shifted to stare at Cadence. She felt a hot flush creeping up her cheeks and she slouched visibly in her chair.  
  
"I've already spoken with your grandmother, Miss Cartwright," the professor said in a quiet voice. "We've worked everything out. You are still required to carry the same workload as the rest of the students, but you are not going to be taking the O.W.L.s."  
  
Cadence sighed as the professor turned her gaze to the rest of the students and began her lesson.  
  
Ginny stared at her friend, almost mesmerized. "You've already taken them?"  
  
Cadence put her hand on her forehead and nodded. "My mother thought I was advanced enough to take it at the end of my tutoring last year. I got fifteen of them."  
  
Ginny's face went blank. She mouthed the word, 'Wow' and turned her attention back to the front of the classroom. As the pair listened intently on what Professor McGonagall was saying, Cadence couldn't help but feel like everyone in the classroom was now judging her. She wanted to escape from the sudden heat of the room and go to lunch.  
  
After being instructed on how to transfigure an ordinary Muggle book into a witch textbook, the students tried it on their own and then they got the hang of it, they were quizzed. The bell rang for lunch. Gryffindor and Ravenclaw's packs gathered up their things and moved toward the Great Hall.  
  
Ginny led the way, talking incessantly about how much she was going to hate Potions. The teacher, Professor Snape, was insistent on bringing down his wrath on any house that wasn't his own, Slytherin. Ginny also told Cadence that in no way should she hint or mention the fact that she knew Harry Potter.  
  
"But why?" Cadence asked almost immediately after Ginny instructed her, giving Cadence the distinct impression that she sounded like a child of three.  
  
"He's got it out for that boy, he does," Ginny told her. "Ever since Harry's first year here."  
  
They wandered into the Great Hall together and found that most of the students in the school were already there, studying and eating. Cadence sat down at the Gryffindor table alongside Ginny, looking around for someone she knew.  
  
Harry had watched Cadence walk in. He was pleased that she had found someone to connect with in her year, and was even more so that it was someone close to him. She seemed a bit anxious and nervous. Harry wondered when she would finally start to realize that Hogwarts wasn't so bad after all.  
  
Perhaps she would after Harry had shown her that Hogwarts was indeed, a place for friendship.  
  
A place for more than that, even? 


	4. Eyes on the Quidditch Field

Chapter 4  
Eyes on the Quidditch Field  
  
Ginny and Cadence parted ways as they walked out of the Great Hall together and Ginny promised to save Cadence a seat for their Astronomy class the next hour.  
  
Cadence excitedly walked down to the Care of Magical Creatures class with Hagrid. She was anxious to learn about the class and start looking at creatures of all sorts.  
  
She bounced happily to the front of the class as the gigantic man they all knew lovingly as Hagrid walked around his cabin and smiled at the mass of students.  
  
"Well hello ter yeh all," he said in a pleasant voice. He stared at the sea of faces and turned toward a crate of boxes behind him. "As yeh' all know, we jus' got a supply a these lil' devils," he said, motioning toward the crates.  
  
Cadence's smile spread like fire across her face. She wanted to know exactly what 'they' were.  
  
Hagrid opened the box and a foul smell came up from it, causing most of the students to turn away in disgust.  
  
"Now, these are wha' we call spade-footed-grouts. Mind yeh, the'r quite dangerous as newborns, they are," he told them, seeing the feared looks on their faces. "But don't mind yeh, if yeh's wearing the righ' gear, yeh'll be alrigh."  
  
He began to hand out some thick, leather gloves and the students took them as though they were the toads instead of gloves. Cadence took hers eagerly from Hagrid's hands, slipping them on so quickly he had barely moved on. Hagrid gave her an affectionate smile, noticing her enthusiasm.  
  
"Now, wha' yeh're gonna want ta do is handle 'em very carefully now," he instructed as the students stepped up gingerly toward the boxes. "That's righ," he encouraged. "Then, when yeh get a good hold of 'em, press down hard on the'r feet. It should calm 'em righ down."  
  
Cadence reached into the box cautiously, pulling out the creatures. They were slimy and looked like worms with legs. They had barely visible eyes and mouths, but their feet were spade shaped, hence the name. Cadence gripped her grout's foot tightly and it instantly went lax in her arms.  
  
Hagrid smiled at her in great admiration as other students struggled with their grouts. "Yeh see here, students!" he announced, gesturing to Cadence. "Cadence's got it! Make sure yeh're squeezing 'em real tigh' there," he said, turning to a group of students who had no idea what they were doing, giving Cadence a wink in the process.  
  
Cadence went bright red and kept a firm grip on her grout's toe, carefully petting its head with her fingers.  
  
After another unbearable ten minutes with the grouts, the students put them back in their respective boxes. They sat down to get the lecture from Hagrid about what kind of creatures these were, what their maintenance required, and a few other need to know things about what they would be doing involving the grouts over the next several weeks.  
  
They opened up their textbooks, reading a bit about the creatures and then talking about them as a class discussion. Afterwards, Hagrid ordered the students to select a partner, a grout, and maintain it at their desk for the remainder of the class.  
  
Cadence knew of no one and sat in her seat, looking around cautiously as all the students ran toward each other quickly to pair up. She looked down at her hands and sighed deeply, heaving herself out of her seat and walking over to the box of grouts.  
  
"Who dudn't have a parner yet?" Hagrid called suddenly.  
  
Cadence jumped and didn't want to raise her hand for fear of embarrassment. However, out of her dumb luck a boy raised his hand and she smiled, seeing his hand was the only one up. She rushed over to him quickly.  
  
"I don't have a partner either," she whispered.  
  
"Oh good!" the boy cried, running his hands through his dark blond hair. "I was hoping I didn't have to do it by myself."  
  
"I was hoping that too," Cadence sighed. She smiled at him as she introduced herself. "I'm Cadence Cartwright."  
  
It was as if the boy had just seen a golden unicorn. His eyes widened and his jaw dropped. "Cadence. Cartwright?"  
  
"Yes," she answered, clearly oblivious to the excited nature the boy had suddenly. "And who might you be?"  
  
"Ca. Cadence." the boy could no longer function a proper sentence.  
  
Cadence didn't bat an eyelash. "What's your name?" she demanded again.  
  
"Cadence."  
  
"No, that is my name. What is yours?"  
  
"Colin Creevey."  
  
"Nice to meet you Colin. Let's get our grout."  
  
Cadence walked away from a still stumbling Colin and grabbed the grout they were going to sustain for the remainder of the class. Colin stood rooted in the same spot when she returned, staring at her.  
  
"Are we going to work or are we going to stand here staring at each other?" she snapped at him.  
  
He managed to snap himself out of his daze and join her at the table. He pretended that he didn't realize who she was, but Cadence couldn't shake the feeling that Colin was still in awe of her.  
  
They continued to keep up with the grouts and Cadence barely even looked at Colin. She knew he still had his jaw open and it was unnerving.  
  
After a while, they were putting the grouts back in the boxes when Colin finally got up the nerve to ask her something. "D-Do you know."  
  
She turned on him with an eyebrow raised. "Do I know whom?" she shot.  
  
He almost jumped back at the tone of her voice. "Harry Potter?"  
  
And Colin saw in her face that he had seen in no one else's when the name was mentioned. He saw her face lighten and her sneer lowered. Her eyes softened and he almost saw a small smile appear on her face. The tone of her voice was completely different when she responded. Instead of being rigid and cool, it was suddenly warm and gentle.  
  
"Harry Potter?"  
  
Colin nodded, staring at her intently. A slight shade of pink crept up her face as she looked away from him. "Yeah," she said in a voice barely audible. "Yeah, I kind of know him."  
  
Colin continued to stare at her and Hagrid's voice broke the tense silence between the two. The class was over. Cadence hastily ran over to her desk, grabbed her book bag, and fled from Colin before he had a chance to ask anything else.  
  
She rushed to her next class and held her head down the entire way. She had been reminded of the one person she didn't know how to think about, and now she was trying to shield herself from all the questions that were suddenly plaguing her mind.  
  
Pink cheeks? How could I get pink cheeks? What is going on with me these days? The mere mention of a boy's name could make me weak in the knees? How sad!  
  
She shook her head and then entered into the Astronomy classroom. To her relief, she saw Ginny saving her a seat in the front row. She smiled at her and waved her over.  
  
Cadence sat down next to her and smiled broadly. "Thank God you're in here!"  
  
"Of course I am," Ginny laughed. "Why, your Magical Creatures class not go well?" Ginny asked with a smirk.  
  
Cadence shrugged shyly. "Well it was good, and I actually enjoyed it, but then I met this boy who just would not leave me alone."  
  
"Colin Creevey?" Ginny asked, leaning in and lowering her voice.  
  
Cadence's eyes widened and she smiled at Ginny. "How did you know that?"  
  
Ginny rolled her eyes and leaned up, still keeping her voice at a low roar. "Everyone knows that the Creevey boys are definitely the most. well. to say the least they tend to get a little too enthusiastic about people they know or admire."  
  
"Know or admire?" Cadence rolled her eyes.  
  
Before Ginny could reply, Professor Sinistra walked in and began the lesson. Cadence tried to pay attention but she couldn't. She somehow allowed her mind to wander onto different things. Why did Colin Creevey ask about Harry Potter and if she knew him? And why had she gone so shy and so warm all over at the mere mention of the name?  
  
"Psst," came the sound from next to her. "Sleeping Beauty. open your book."  
  
Cadence shook the cloud from her head and looked at Ginny. Her book was open, her quill was poised over her already full parchment, and she had a nervous look on her face.  
  
"You okay?"  
  
Cadence smiled, opening her book, pulling out a piece of parchment, and dipped her quill in her ink. "I'm perfect."  
  
Ginny rolled her eyes, obviously not believing her at all. "Tell me after class," she whispered.  
  
The lesson continued without another word between the two of them. Cadence took notes adamantly and tried to listen intently to everything that the professor was saying, but somehow she couldn't get her mind off of Harry.  
  
And that was what scared her the most.  
  
After two hours of a rather fascinating lesson in Defense Against the Dark Arts (with a new professor), Ginny and Cadence left and went back up to the dorms to drop off their books. They were then going to go out to the Quidditch field to fly around a bit on their broomsticks. Cadence and Ginny had gotten into a discussion earlier about how each of them loved to fly and that Cadence was dying to do so.  
  
They took off their robes and ran down the stairs with their brooms. They walked out to the Quidditch field quickly, chattering incessantly the entire way. Cadence couldn't wait until she off her feet, feeling the freedom of flying underneath her once again. The cool breeze on her face, the warm feeling that passed in and out of her body as she felt the lift off, the grasp of the broom handle when she decided she wanted to turn her broom, dip, or go upward. She was excited.  
  
Yet something deep down inside of her wished she had brought her practice Quidditch balls to school. To feel the enjoyment of being a Chaser again would have made her the happiest girl alive.  
  
They arrived at the Quidditch field and Ginny smiled widely at Cadence. "I'm assuming you know how to do this."  
  
Cadence's brown eyes became even wider as she stared at the open field in front of her. She had never seen an actual field before, and it amazed her beyond anything that it was indeed as large as her parents had always told her it was.  
  
Ginny straddled her broom and took off, laughing. "If you're coming, make sure you close your mouth. You don't want to go catching any flies!"  
  
Cadence closed her mouth and gave a joking glare to her friend. "I'll show you, Miss Weasley!"  
  
Hopping on her broom felt like heaven to Cadence as she took off from the ground, heading straight for Ginny. The wind splashed on her face, causing her head to duck down to avoid it. She caught up to Ginny in no time at all, reached out, and gave her broom a gentle yank so her head flipped back a little.  
  
"Hey! No fair!" she yelled over the roar of the wind passing them.  
  
"Fair?" Cadence called. "What do you think this is? A game?"  
  
They continued to fly around and within the course of half an hour, the girls had grown rather fond of being together, and nowhere near weary of being in the air.  
  
Cadence flew over beside Ginny as she did some twists and turns throughout the air and asked, "Getting tired yet?"  
  
"Me? Never!" Ginny called, laughing as she did a sudden dip toward the ground.  
  
Cadence rolled her eyes and followed suit, snickering with amusement. They continued to fly around for the remainder of the hour, laughing at each other, trying to veer the other of course. Finally, they flew down to the ground with displeasure.  
  
"It is getting dark and we have homework after all," Ginny told her.  
  
"I know," Cadence sighed, looking upward at the sky. "But it still doesn't change the fact that I love being out here."  
  
There was silence between the two girls for a few seconds, and as Cadence continued to stare at the sky, longing to be up there again, Ginny stared at her. The pure passion on her face for being free, the excitement she so clearly felt with wind in her hair, and the raw enthusiasm she saw on her friend's face made her smile.  
  
"You know who you remind me of?" she said, a smirk coming to her face.  
  
Cadence was broken out of her trance as she looked back down at Ginny. She had a dreamy look about her face and she asked without opening her mouth, "Hmm?"  
  
"Harry."  
  
Before Cadence had a chance to look shocked, Ginny's expression turned rotten as she stared over her friend's shoulder. Cadence whipped around quickly to see seven people walking toward them with broomsticks, all clad in gray, silver, and green. It was the Slytherin Quidditch team.  
  
The two girls swallowed hard when the group approached them, and Ginny forcefully grabbed Cadence's arm. They turned to walk away when an all too familiar voice sounded close to Cadence's ear.  
  
"If it isn't the Gryffindor girl."  
  
She stopped dead in her tracks and turned to look at Draco. "What do you want?" she asked exasperatedly.  
  
"Oh, nothing," he replied nastily, staring her up and down. She shifted uncomfortably under his menacing gaze. "I'm just out here with my team so we can start practicing for the season. Why are you out here with this pathetic Weasley? You I could see as a Quidditch player, but I'll be damned if another of these paupers ever face me in a tournament again."  
  
Ginny turned as red as her hair and looked away. Cadence glared up at Draco, not being intimidated the slightest bit by his power.  
  
"You'd better take that back."  
  
He sneered at her. "Or what will you do?"  
  
She felt herself overcome with rage and reached into her pocket, pulling out her wand. "I'll hit you so hard with a spell that you'll wish you had never laid eyes on me."  
  
He didn't stir at all. After a couple of seconds, he reached into his own pocket and pulled out his wand. "Then I'll hit you back."  
  
"Not if I break your arm," she threatened, raising her wand up into the air, pointing straight at the arm holding his wand.  
  
"Break my arm?" he asked, laughing at her. "Surely you can come up with something better than that."  
  
She shifted the wand over and pointed it at his chest. "If I recall my anatomy, this is where your heart is?"  
  
His face fell and he lowered his wand. "You wouldn't."  
  
"Take it back."  
  
"You'd get thrown into Azkaban, Cadence."  
  
"Apologize."  
  
"You wouldn't have the guts."  
  
She jabbed the tip of her wand into his chest forcefully and he finally shifted his gaze over toward Ginny and muttered, "Sorry."  
  
Cadence jabbed harder. "Louder so she can hear you."  
  
He cleared his throat and said, "Fine. I'm sorry. There!" he directed his gaze back to Cadence. "Are you happy?"  
  
Cadence kept the wand pointed at his chest. "Thrilled."  
  
Draco raised his wand again and pointed it at Cadence's nose. "You don't have the guts, Cartwright."  
  
She glared at him. "You don't either."  
  
He tilted his head, not removing his eyes from her. "Then you don't know much about me, do you?"  
  
They continued to hold their wands pointed at the other, and Ginny finally stepped up to Cadence and whispered, "Cadence, come on. Don't do this, it's not worth it."  
  
"Yes that's right. Listen to the Weasley," Draco instructed. "It's not worth it to shoot a scum like me."  
  
She said nothing.  
  
"But I bet someone like Potter would be."  
  
Cadence nearly dropped her wand. A flush crept up her cheeks that she knew Draco had seen because of his sudden smirk. She shook it off and gripped her wand with a trembling hand.  
  
"What's the matter, Cartwright? Don't like to hear Potter's name?" Cadence flinched. Draco lowered his arm and backed away from Cadence. He then made his way around her, circling like a vulture. She let the wand fall back to her side and stood rigid as Draco lowered his voice into her ear.  
  
"Nice little boy, he is, wouldn't you say? What girl wouldn't want a boy like Harry at their side? He's sweet. he's charming. he's got quite a knack for the magic."  
  
Cadence mustered up all of whatever was in her to utter, "Shut up."  
  
Draco acted as though he didn't hear her. "I knew Potter was a nuisance to me ever since I entered that robe shop years ago. He with his ever-present scar and his well known name. he meant nothing to me, you hear me? Nothing. He was just another young boy who had gotten his Ps and Qs mixed up. he thought the world of himself because he was THE Harry Potter. He was the sole survivor of You-Know-Who's attack, and he was invincible."  
  
Tears stung at Cadence's eyes.  
  
"But let me tell you something, Cartwright, I wasn't impressed. I still am not impressed, and I'm not impressed with the fact that he used his celebrity status and smile to get you caught up in his web of lies. He's nothing but a phony, Cadence. He'll use every line to tell you he's interested, he'll even pretend to care, but he doesn't. People like that never do. All they do is feed you lines and you have to be extra careful. making sure they don't poison your mind as well as their own."  
  
Finally, with a lump in her throat, Cadence spat out, "What do you think you're going to do if I happen to enjoy Harry's company?"  
  
"What do you think I'll do?"  
  
Cadence closed her eyes. "I don't know you well enough to know your full capacity but I know of the evil that lingers inside of your heart."  
  
Draco stopped behind her. She felt his cold and clammy hand grip the back of her neck. It was not a forceful grab, but more of a gentle tug to let her know he was there. He bent in so close to her ear that she could feel his breath on her skin. "I may be evil, Cadence Cartwright, but I know the difference between truth and counterfeit. Nothing in what Potter's eyes for you is genuine."  
  
Cadence felt a tear drip down her cheek and she brushed it away angrily before Draco could make his way back in front of her. "I know the difference," she whispered, and with that, she spun on her heel and fled the Quidditch field.  
  
She didn't wait for Ginny as she raced through the halls of Hogwarts, trying desperately to tear into her dorm. She needed to be by herself and do some thinking.  
  
It was almost nine-thirty when she had left the field, and that meant that it was almost time for lights out. Most students were either already in bed, studying in the library, or by themselves quietly in the common room.  
  
Cadence didn't want to be around other people. She wanted to be alone, she wanted to cry in her bed, clutch her own pillow, and say words that no one else could hear.  
  
She wasn't even sure why she was so upset in the first place, but yet. she was.  
  
She ran, not thinking about anything other than the direction to her dorm. Her broomstick banged against her knees horribly, tears stung her brown eyes harshly, and her sides began to cramp after running so much. She noticed none of this.  
  
She finally recognized the stairs, and making sure they weren't moving, she rushed up each set. She made her way toward the portrait of the Fat Lady as she looked oddly at Cadence. "Password?"  
  
"Amare cadere," she answered quickly and the door flung open. She passed through the portrait hole, and not attention to the occupants of the common room, darted toward the stairs.  
  
Harry, sitting on the couch in the common room, doing his homework, looked up quickly and saw Cadence flying by. Puzzled, he dropped his books and ran after her.  
  
"Cadence!" he called as she bolted up the stairs toward the girls' dorms.  
  
Oh no, Cadence thought to herself. Please. please. I want to be alone. She flung around, half expecting Colin Creevey to be standing behind her, a large goofy grin on his face.  
  
The other half of her didn't expect who was actually there.  
  
Harry readjusted his glasses as he tried to focus on her eyes. Had she been crying? The two stood in the stairwell for almost five minutes in silence, staring at each other. Thoughts rushed through their heads. What do I say? What do I do? Do I stand here? Should I say something?  
  
Finally Harry took a step toward her and it caught Cadence so off guard that she stumbled backward. Harry jumped forward to grab her, tripping as well.  
  
"Sorry."  
  
"No it's my fault."  
  
The two looked up to see that Harry had fallen on top of her. They made no direct move to speak to the other as they hastily stood up.  
  
Harry was sick of the silence and awkwardness. If they were going to be friends, they needed not to have such a hard time speaking to each other.  
  
"Is there something wrong, Cadence?" he finally whispered.  
  
Cadence's immediate reaction to this was to say 'No.' But something deep inside of her told her that everything Draco had said was a lie, a ploy. and that she could really trust Harry. He needed to know.  
  
"Actually. there is," she whispered. "But I need to get to my dorm."  
  
"I'll take you," he whispered back.  
  
Taking her hand, Harry led the way to the girls' dorms and from there on, Cadence led Harry to her bedside.  
  
"Are you going to tell me what happened?" he asked.  
  
She looked away from him, turning on her lamp and wiping tears from her face. She pulled out her wand and set it on the nightstand, staring at it for a few seconds before turning back to meet Harry's expectant green eyes. They made her weak every time she caught a glimpse.  
  
"We were on the Quidditch field. Ginny and me. we had been flying around for about an hour and we were just on our way inside."  
  
From there on, she told him about the encounter with Draco, what he had said, and even some things she had never planned on sharing. It amazed her how open she had suddenly become. She hadn't expected telling him everything she had felt when Draco did what he did and how uncomfortable it had made her when he put his hand on her neck, almost as if he was trying to be affectionate. It gave her the willies just remembering it.  
  
After she had told the story, Harry didn't say a word, and Cadence begged him with her eyes to say something.  
  
He remained silent.  
  
"Say something." she whispered.  
  
He looked up at her and shrugged. "I don't know what to say, Cadence."  
  
"Well tell me. are you angry, are you upset, are you frustrated? What?"  
  
Harry looked away and felt his own tears clinging to his eyes. He had to be strong for her. She had obviously seen so much turmoil and so much hurt. He didn't need to dump his own on her.  
  
"I'm. I'm." he stuttered, and suddenly he knew his act had fallen through. He finally straightened up to turn back to her and say, "I'm going to let you decide on your own."  
  
He stood up and Cadence looked all around her, confused. "What do you mean? Decide what on my own?"  
  
He turned toward her and said nothing. He only smiled. "I'm not going to preach to you about how much I loathe Draco Malfoy, and how everything he says about me is a lie. I can tell you that he tries to emphasize the fact that I like being the only person who survived that attack fifteen years ago. but he never mentions how much I hate being orphaned. He never remembers to add the fact that I wish day after day I had a real family. That other than my two best friends. I'd give anything to have someone truly love me."  
  
Cadence stood up and walked over to Harry. He stared down at her. She blinked softly and then in a soft voice, said, "I think I just made my decision."  
  
She extended both of her arms and wrapped them around Harry, leaning her head on his chest. He was taken by surprise at her gesture of affection, but he was not at all going to object. He drew her in and squeezed her tightly. She allowed all of her tears to come forward at that moment in time, and as she sobbed, her shoulders shook.  
  
Harry held her while she cried, but unbeknownst to her, tears of his own fell silently into her hair. 


	5. The Clearing

A/N: I VERY obviously wrote this before Order of the Phoenix came out. This was actually my first Harry Potter fic. I wrote it last September, so a lot of the stuff you're going to read further on won't fit to canon. Oh well. Let's just pretend that in this universe, Cadence is Harry's first kiss.  
  
Chapter 5  
The Clearing  
  
Weeks at Hogwarts passed almost as if they were measured in mere hours. Cadence had never felt so happy. She finally had friends her own age, people who cared about her other than family, and even a social life.  
  
There were nights she wished she still had her parents. She loved her life, but she would have given any of it to see her parents one more time. She had pictures and mementos of their lives, but she knew it couldn't replace the pure love she felt for them in her heart.  
  
What made it all bearable though, was the fact that Harry shared with her his deepest and most inner secrets about his parents. She had never met anyone like Harry and she was grateful to be his friend. Over the weeks that passed, they became closer. Occasionally they would meet after classes and sit in the common room hour upon hour and talk.  
  
What Harry told her reflected almost everything she felt. He had grown up in a home where he was not accepted and knew nothing of his birth parents. He had learned his eleventh year that he was a wizard and would be attending Hogwarts, and he had finally found somewhere he would fit in. Yet even though he knew that he fit in at Hogwarts and hat it was where he belonged, he would have given up every bit of it just to meet his parents.  
  
Cadence felt sorry for Harry. Harry had never known his parents, he had never known what it was like to be loved by a mother and father. He had never felt his mother's kiss on his cheek or his father's pat on the back. She knew what it felt like to miss your parents, but she had known her parents.  
  
Yet Harry felt sorry for Cadence. She had known the love of her parents and she had known everything about them. That would have made it twice as hard to let go. He had lost his parents before he could truly know them and love them for what they were, but that was left for him to decide. She knew what her parents had been like and she had lost them when she needed them most.  
  
Harry even started to tell her all about his adventures at Hogwarts. He told her about the many run ins with Voldemort he had had and how the last five years of his schooling had been full of chaotic journeys.  
  
Out of his constant tales of fighting with swords and flying on hippogriffs (which to her sounded like the epitome of excitement), how could she even begin to match any of her stories to his? She had not been on exciting quests and taken part in perilous activities. All she had done her entire life was live in a sheltered world at home. She had learned all she needed to know to be in her fifth year at Hogwarts, she had become an excellent Chaser on the Quidditch pitch, and she had managed to obtain her O.W.L.s before any other fifth year in the school had.  
  
None of it was exciting, and this troubled Cadence whenever she spoke with Harry.  
  
Am I not good enough to talk to someone of this magnitude? Never mind that Lord You-Know-Who attacked him. That didn't even matter to her. So what if he had a lightning bolt shaped scar on his forehead that no one seemed to be able to take their eyes off of? It wasn't as though she had never seen a scar before. The story was very exciting indeed, and very sad all at the same time, but Harry was so much more than a scar and a story.  
  
She knew him deep inside now, and she hoped it would only continue.  
  
She learned that Harry was the Captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch team, and that pleased her. She knew now whom to go to if she wanted a place on the team. Yet that possibility was highly unlikely.  
  
Cadence was really coming to enjoy her life at Hogwarts very much. She wished her parents had allowed her to go the first four years of school. All that was left was two years of a wonderful experience. It was two years more than she could have ever hoped for.  
  
She especially loved her Care of Magical Creatures class, and Hagrid was suddenly taking a liking to Miss Cartwright. He told her so one day after she happily packed up her grout and was about to leave class.  
  
"I'm glad ya like the class there, Cadence," he said to her, a bright smile on his large, cheerful face.  
  
"I love it a lot. I've always been interested in this kind of stuff, but I never got to tamper with it. Now that I have, I love it."  
  
Hagrid smiled even wider. "We're movin on from these grouts soon, to tell ya."  
  
Cadence smiled wistfully and looked down at her book. "Do we ever get into unicorns?"  
  
Hagrid frowned suddenly. "Uh. well. ya see." he paused when he saw the sudden disappointment on her face. A light bulb clicked in his head and he recovered himself. "Well, we don' cover unicorns this year. but if ya really want," he said, seeing a flicker of hope in her bright brown eyes. "I could have ya come out after classes and we could go into the Forest," he told her.  
  
A smile finally reappeared on Cadence's once saddened face. "So we can go. study unicorns?"  
  
Hagrid nodded, his beetle black eyes twinkling in amusement at her enthusiasm. "Ya seem ter enjoy my class more'n any of the other students. I figure ya could use a bit of training up if ya really want it."  
  
Her smile answered him. "So should I come tomorrow then?"  
  
"Termorrow after classes, come an' see me an' we'll go study up on unicorns."  
  
Cadence stared at Hagrid for a few seconds with such respect and admiration that Hagrid almost buckled in tears. He clapped her on the back so hard she almost toppled forward. "Alrigh then, off ter class with ya," he ordered, turning away from her abruptly.  
  
"Thank you, Hagrid," she whispered and scurried away, her black robes flowing behind her.  
  
With a bright smile on her face, she headed into Astronomy, took her usual seat next to Ginny. Ginny gave her the usual eye roll. "You love that class far too much for your liking. You're a regular Hagrid."  
  
Cadence abruptly turned to her friend, grabbing her arm and saying dreamily, "I get to study unicorns!"  
  
Ginny's eyes widened. "You do?"  
  
"Yes!"  
  
"When? How? It's not on the syllabus for that class!"  
  
"I know," Cadence answered her, getting her notes and books in order for Astronomy. "I asked Hagrid if we were at all studying them, and he said no, but since I was so interested in his class, he says I can come to learn on my own about unicorns."  
  
Ginny smiled widely. "Wow. You're lucky. Hagrid doesn't do that very often. What's your interest with unicorns anyway?"  
  
Cadence shrugged. "Always something I was interested in studying. They just intrigue me, and I'd love the chance to work with them some day."  
  
Ginny nodded. "So that's your angle."  
  
"What do you mean, angle?"  
  
"Your job after Hogwarts. Just about every fifth year has theirs picked out already, and that's why most of them take the classes they take. How long have you wanted to work with unicorns?" "Well. since I learned about them I guess." she said, sighing.  
  
Professor Sinistra made her way into the classroom and began lessons. The two ceased talking until class was over.  
  
Defense Against the Dark Arts couldn't have passed slowly enough. All Cadence suddenly found herself wanting to do was run out onto the Quidditch field, armed with her broom, straddle it, and sail off the ground. Just the mere thought of doing this made her tingle all over and want all the more to finish class.  
  
Finally, class was over and the two girls went running toward their dorms like they had each day. It was now common to Gryffindors to see Ginny Weasley and Cadence Cartwright racing past in a blur to the dormitories.  
  
Once up there, they threw off their robes, grabbed their brooms, and headed to the Quidditch field. Once Harry and Ron had caught them, making them turn around (for their own sakes they claimed) to put on their robes and scarves. After long protest, the two reluctantly agreed.  
  
Hermione had occasionally joined them, but for the most part, the older girl stayed out of the antics of the two younger ones. She holed herself up in the library like Ginny described she so often did.  
  
Feeling the breeze on her face was what Cadence looked forward to doing every single day. That was what was worth it in the long run.  
  
Their normal ritual continued day after day, and after going out to fly with Ginny, Cadence would go back to the dorms, put her robes on, and run down to Hagrid's cabin.  
  
Hagrid met her there with a wide smile on his face. "Hi there Cadence," he greeted cheerfully. "Yeh all ready? Alrigh then, off we are."  
  
Within the next few days, Cadence was absolutely intrigued with how much she found out. She was growing to love going out into the Forest with Hagrid, however she had to keep the excursions a secret, considering the fact that students weren't allowed in the Forest. Ginny was the only one that knew.  
  
After a few more days of sneaking out to Hagrid's cabin after nightfall, Cadence began to feel bad that she wasn't spending time with Harry. She really started to miss her usual talks with him after she went into the common room each night. Occasionally she'd catch him there, but she hadn't been successful in the last two weeks.  
  
She sent Sierra to him with a message once and it shocked Cadence to see the look on Harry's face when he received the letter. He didn't normally get mail, or so he said, and even though he had told her that, it still saddened her a bit to see such a shocked look on his face when he got the letter during lunch.  
  
She had plainly written:  
  
Harry-  
  
I apologize for not being around lately. I'd really like to see you sometime. Meet me on the Quidditch field after class today.  
  
Ginny has homework. It's your time today.  
  
- Cadence  
  
Her heart leapt in her throat when he looked straight up at her, his green eyes burning into hers. He nodded solemnly, smiled at her sweetly, and tucked the paper away in his Charms book.  
  
Cadence turned bright red and felt her heart race up until class was over. She told Ginny she'd see her later and Ginny gave her a nudge for good luck. Cadence found her way to her room, grabbed her scarf and gloves, and then walked slowly out to the field.  
  
She saw no sign of Harry anywhere, and stood in the middle of the field for a matter of minutes before she began to feel dejected. Did he not want to show up or was he running late?  
  
As if on cue, Cadence heard trudging footsteps in the grass behind her. She turned around and saw Harry walking toward her. His dark hair was most untidy and his bright green eyes were lit up in amusement. He had a smirk on his face.  
  
"Sorry I'm late," he greeted. He smiled at her and took her hand swiftly. "I'm glad you asked me out here today. There's something I want to show you."  
  
Cadence looked down at their conjoined hands and back up at Harry. A small smile started to appear on her face. "What are you talking about?"  
  
"Just come with me," he urged, and she did as she was told. She followed Harry off of the Quidditch field and back toward Hagrid's cabin.  
  
"What are we doing, Harry?" she asked, half giggling.  
  
"You'll see."  
  
They walked past Hagrid's hand in hand and into the Forest, where Cadence had seen the entrance so many times that she knew it by heart. It was no longer a forbidden place to her. She looked around it each time she entered with such awe that she surprised herself.  
  
"Where are we going?" she whispered to Harry.  
  
But he whispered back, "Be patient, I've got something to show you."  
  
They traveled through the brush a bit more and jumped over fallen tree logs. Harry never let go of Cadence's hand and that made her feel warm all over. They ventured through a few more trees, off of their narrow path, and into a field of brush and prickly bushes. After Cadence had fought off what seemed to be an ankle hungry vine, Harry abruptly stopped in front of her, and gave her hand a squeeze.  
  
"Here we are."  
  
She looked up quickly enough to see the Clearing that the two had approached. They were well hidden by brush, tree branches, and logs, so they made no sudden move to duck down.  
  
The Clearing was a small, tranquil pond, the greenest grass in the Forest, and the largest number of unicorns that Cadence had ever laid eyes on. Her mouth dropped open and Harry snuck glances of her, smirking knowingly.  
  
She took a step forward, never letting go of Harry's hand. "It's. oh my gosh Harry. it's amazing." she whispered, in awe.  
  
Harry stepped up next to her and whispered in her ear, "Hagrid thought you might like it."  
  
Cadence frowned. "Hagrid?"  
  
"Yes, Hagrid."  
  
"What do you mean? He knew this was here?" Cadence turned toward Harry and looked at him, puzzled. The only things that Hagrid had been showing Cadence the past couple of weeks were small plants that unicorns ate, tracks they left, and fragments of their being that no one could have picked up unless they were looking. She had not seen a real one yet.  
  
"Of course he knew. He knew you'd love to see it, but he wanted to wait until a special time for it."  
  
Cadence remained puzzled. "Special? Why is this time special?"  
  
Harry sighed and continued with his explanation. "I talked to him today during class, and he told me that since the Clearing was such a special place, it had to wait for the right time, the right day, the right moment. He wasn't sure if he was the person to show you. But then he looked at me as if he could see right through me. and he said. 'You should take her Harry. It's in your eyes. You need to be the one to take her.' So here we are."  
  
Cadence looked back out at the unicorns. They were as beautiful as she had always dreamed them to be. They were magnificent in their radiance, the white manes flying behind them as they ran, their beautiful tails swishing in the bask of the dropping sunlight as they drank from the pond. The small ones were gold, and snuggled up to the white unicorns. It was evident that they were the babies.  
  
She looked back up at Harry carefully, who was staring out at the unicorns as wistfully as she was. "And why." she whispered to him, breaking the strained silence, "is tonight such a special night?"  
  
Harry blinked and then looked down at her. He smiled sheepishly and then shook his head. "Every night, Cadence. every night with you is a special night."  
  
Cadence blinked and then stared at their hands intertwined with one another. "Harry?" she whispered.  
  
"Hmm?" he answered.  
  
"Do you know what it's like. to have feelings all mixed up inside of you? Like a bunch of butterflies fighting to get to one place?"  
  
"All too well, Cadence," he whispered to her through the darkness. There was silence for many minutes as the two stared out at the unicorns lapping the water, running around the green grass, and being beautiful and graceful.  
  
Suddenly, Harry spoke.  
  
"Cadence."  
  
It was a soft word, melodic in phrasing and sounded almost like music coming from Harry's mouth at that moment in time.  
  
"Harry?"  
  
To Harry's ears, hearing Cadence's soft and gentle voice speak was like a song, beautiful in singing.  
  
"This is going to sound really absurd."  
  
"Say it."  
  
Harry turned and looked at Cadence full on, meeting her bright brown eyes with his sparkling green. "Have you ever. kissed anyone before?"  
  
Cadence's eyes widened. "Kissed?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Kissed?"  
  
He turned bright red and ruffled his already untidy hair. "Yeah. It was an absolutely idiotic question, I know. Forget I said it."  
  
"No, Harry," Cadence whispered. He turned back around and faced her. "It wasn't. And no. no. I haven't. Have you?"  
  
He shook his head subtly and she tipped her head at him. "Why?"  
  
"I've never felt strongly enough for anyone. to try."  
  
"Neither have I."  
  
"Cadence?"  
  
"Harry?"  
  
"Can I kiss you?"  
  
With an unspoken answer, Cadence stared into Harry's eyes and Harry into Cadence's. In a matter of seconds, Harry leaned forward and pressed his shy lips onto Cadence's, and brought his hands up to slowly touch her arms. Cadence felt nothing she had never known before as she kissed Harry, and it amazed her deep down how strong the feeling she felt for him really was. She suddenly wanted to be near him, closer to him than she had ever been to anyone before, and it made no sense to her. She had never felt such a strong feeling, and it scared her.  
  
Harry also felt a stirring within his heart and soul as he continued to kiss Cadence. He wasn't sure how good he was at it, but all he knew was that he was kissing her. Nothing else mattered. He was as close to her as he wanted to be without scaring her off, and everything was perfect.  
  
Almost everything. He still knew nothing about the girl that he held in his arms. She knew all of his adventures, that was for sure, but he knew nothing of what she had gone through and why she was at Hogwarts in her fifth year. All she shared was that her parents were great people that she missed terribly, and that she was now living with her grandmother. He had no idea why she had been a house witch for four years, he didn't know how her parents had died, and he didn't know why she was so terribly quiet whenever Harry talked about the attack that had left him orphaned.  
  
But as he continued to kiss Cadence, he knew deep in his heart that those questions needed to be answered. If the two of them were going to let their hearts be free and allow them to trust each other with nothing held back, he was going to have to learn everything about her.  
  
At any cost. 


	6. Joining the Team

Chapter 6  
Joining the Team  
  
"Are we going to the field today?"  
  
"Of course. Don't we always?"  
  
"Unless you have work."  
  
"Well, yeah."  
  
Ginny and Cadence talked in whispers the next day during class about what had happened when Ginny was off doing homework. Cadence told her everything, and at first Ginny hadn't understood. Then she had flushed and told her she was fortunate.  
  
"He's a special boy," Ginny told her. "He's smart, he's got a lot going for him, but he keeps to himself far too much. He definitely needs someone to break him out of that. You're lucky it was you."  
  
When Ginny told her this, a warmth unlike she had ever known crept over her heart and she was smiling the rest of the class, thinking about Harry.  
  
Somehow they had managed to hold their tongues through Snape's class and not talk excitedly to each other as much as they wanted to. They had held it off until Charms class, and then spit out everything to each other.  
  
"I can't believe he asked you to kiss him, that's so Harry," Ginny had exclaimed.  
  
"What do you mean, 'so Harry?' "  
  
"Harry's not very forceful, he's gentle and caring. He would ask so you wouldn't get offended or something," she replied, turned away, but then out of the corner of her eye, she watched Cadence turn crimson and a dreamy smile spread across her face.  
  
The rest of the class they wrote small notes to each other and paid attention at the same time, learning the Appearance Altering Charm. They were trying out new hair colors, styles, and lengths, and then going back.  
  
"I wonder what Harry would think if you approached him as a redhead," Ginny said, waiting for her expression.  
  
Cadence's eyes widened. "He wouldn't even recognize me!"  
  
"What about me as a blonde?" Ginny asked, flipping her short bright hair over her shoulder.  
  
"Ha! That would be so cute," Cadence laughed. "I think your skin is too pale, it'd look off."  
  
Ginny laughed at her, pointing her wand at her and turning her into a redhead.  
  
"GINNY WEASLEY!" Cadence screamed. "What did you do?"  
  
"Don't worry, Miss Cartwright," Professor Flitwick broke in. "The affects of this charm are temporary. You'll be blonde again by the end of lunch."  
  
She smiled at the professor and thanked him for the information. She then stuck her tongue out at Cadence, turning her into a brunette.  
  
"This ought to be fun," Ginny commented as the bell rang for lunch a few minutes later.  
  
The entire class walked out with some kind of change to their appearance, and the girls laughed at how everyone reacted as they walked down the hall. No one recognized them.  
  
They entered the Great Hall, chuckling to themselves, and talking about how they were going to meet later on at the Quidditch field and hoped that the weather would stay nice. For some reason, Cadence had not seen Harry that morning at breakfast. She didn't see him sitting at the Gryffindor table at lunch either.  
  
She frowned, sitting next to Ginny across from Ron. She leaned over the table. "Say, Ron, have you seen Harry anywhere?"  
  
Ron opened his Herbology book and pulled out some parchment to begin working. "Actually, after last class, he disappeared, I'm not sure where he went off to." Ron lifted his head up to look at Cadence and jumped back forcefully. "What. in the world?"  
  
She smiled and opened her mouth to answer. "Charms?" came a voice above her.  
  
Cadence looked up and found Harry standing over her. "Did you learn the Appearance Altering Charm? I can't imagine why else you'd have red hair."  
  
She smiled at him lovingly and nodded. "Yep."  
  
Yep?!  
  
"May I have a seat?" he asked after a few seconds of silence. Ginny slid down automatically and let Harry sit in between her and Cadence.  
  
"Where were you this morning?" she blurted out before she had a chance to say much more.  
  
"Oh." he smiled and shook his head. "I was with Professor McGonagall. We were discussing Quidditch."  
  
Cadence lit up like a lamp. "I can't wait to watch the Quidditch games!" she exclaimed. "When does the season start?"  
  
"November 1, usually. But this year it will start a week later, mostly because we only have four players right now. We need three more people."  
  
"Is that why you had to talk to McGonagall?" she asked.  
  
"Yes. Our only problem is Malfoy is Captain of the Slytherin team, and we're playing them first. To top it off, I still need to find two Chasers and a Beater."  
  
"How do you choose players?"  
  
"Usually McGonagall does, but if I find someone I think can handle the job, I request them to her and she talks to them about it," he answered.  
  
She chewed on the inside of her cheeks and turned back to her own homework. "What are you doing after class today?" she inquired.  
  
He shrugged. "Probably nothing. Later on tonight I have to practice." He looked up at her and smiled wistfully. "Did you want to see me?"  
  
"They're pathetic."  
  
"Absolutely."  
  
"Completely."  
  
"I can't believe she would care for someone like Potter," Draco spat during lunch as he watched Cadence and Harry talk to each other. He sat and fumed for a few more seconds and then stood up to walk over.  
  
"I might be able to come out to the Quidditch field tonight after class," Harry whispered to Cadence.  
  
"That would be great," she said, her guard suddenly dropping enough to put her hand over his on the table.  
  
Harry looked down at their hands joined together and then back up at Cadence. He smiled and opened his mouth to speak. He was cut off by an unbelievably evil voice above them.  
  
"She wants your hand off of her homework, Potter."  
  
Harry looked up at Draco, shooting him daggers. "What purpose do you have at this table Malfoy?"  
  
"I'm coming over here to save Cadence, here," he said, stepping toward her.  
  
"I don't need saving," she shot at him. "I'm fine here."  
  
"Are you really, Cadence?" Draco asked in a low tone.  
  
"Beat it, Malfoy," Ron suddenly said, standing up.  
  
Draco stared between him and Harry, who was now on his feet. He was still clutching Cadence's hand in his own. She looked as though she were trembling in fear. Draco didn't miss the gentle squeeze Harry gave her hand every so often. Ginny, seated now closer on Cadence's left, was sending sharp glances toward Draco as well.  
  
"Oh, Potter, the cavalry's all here. I bet you feel right at home now, with your precious followers."  
  
Harry said nothing except a quiet, "Malfoy, leave before there's trouble."  
  
"From who? You?" he turned before Harry could answer and knelt by Cadence. "Don't worry about Potter, my dear, he only wants to reel you in on his little game of tricks, lies, and deceit. Don't fall for someone as sneaky as this one."  
  
Harry turned red, but said nothing. He kept a firm hold on Cadence's hand.  
  
"Why don't we have a chat with Dumbledore?" Draco asked, leaning closer, raising his hand. "It's obvious you're in the wrong house my dear," he said, letting his hand rest on her neck. Cadence trembled vigorously.  
  
Harry then let go of her hand, stepping forward and shoving Draco forcefully. "Don't you ever touch her," he said in a low, threatening tone that no one had heard come from him before.  
  
"Why? Afraid she'll like it?" he sneered.  
  
"Don't ever touch her, Malfoy. EVER."  
  
Draco made no indication that he heard the pure and unadulterated hatred in Harry's voice. "Are you afraid that she'll not want to put up with any of your ridiculous games and be with someone who would care for her?"  
  
"You care for no one but yourself, Malfoy. If I see your hands on her once more." he started.  
  
"You care for nothing but your fame," he shot at him. "I would gladly love that girl more than you ever could."  
  
Harry stepped toward Draco and pulled out his wand. "I'll have you out of her way so fast, Malfoy, you won't know what hit you."  
  
"Perhaps someone else could change that for all of us, right Cadence?" Draco raised his voice. "You've already had someone change things for you, right?"  
  
Cadence's entire face went white, and with it, her bright red hair turned pale blonde again. She stood up, walked straight over to Draco and smacked him so hard across the face that he stumbled backwards. She looked at Harry, tears streaming down her cheeks, and fled the Great Hall.  
  
"What is going on here?" screamed Professor McGonagall, dashing from the Head Table to the middle of the hall. Professor Snape and Hagrid followed her swiftly. "Is there a problem, gentleman?"  
  
"No, Professor," Harry said quietly. "Draco and I had a bit of a spat, but there's something that's more worth my time seeing to than this petty brawl," and with that, he sped off after Cadence.  
  
Draco straightened, still clutching his face. "Cadence Cartwright deserves to be expelled! She marked me!"  
  
Professor McGonagall said nothing. She pursed her lips together and stared at Draco through her spectacles. "I don't doubt that she marked you, Mr. Malfoy, but I do however, doubt whatever your story is as to why. Twenty points will be taken from Slytherin, for whatever mischief you caused."  
  
Draco's mouth dropped open. "But, Professor! I assure you! Those Gryffindor beasts started this!"  
  
Professor Snape cleared his throat from behind McGonagall. "Minerva, I assure you he's telling the truth. I oppose the twenty points you are deducting from my house."  
  
McGonagall turned quickly on her heel and said in a quiet voice, "Severus, I assure you, twenty points is more than fair. I have never known this boy to tell a true story."  
  
"Minerva."  
  
"Severus, that is it."  
  
She grabbed Draco by the arm and walked out of the Great Hall with him. "You and I are going to go have a talk with Dumbledore."  
  
"But. Professor."  
  
"Silence from you!"  
  
Harry ran up the stairs where he knew Cadence had gone, screaming 'Amare cadere' as he blasted through the portrait hole, and ran up the stairs to the girls' dormitory.  
  
"Cadence!" he called, but heard nothing. He walked over to where he knew her bed was, but she was not there. "Cadence, where are you?"  
  
Suddenly something clicked in his brain and he fled the dorms. He ran back out the portrait hole and out of the castle toward the Forbidden Forest.  
  
It took a while, but he finally made it to the Clearing where he had brought Cadence the night before. She was sitting in the grass, staring out at the unicorns. He approached her slowly and she made no indication that she knew he was there. Yet, she spoke.  
  
"I can't believe so many people know, Harry," she whispered.  
  
Harry found it hard to answer, his throat didn't want to work. But soon, he croaked out, "Know what?"  
  
She didn't answer. "At first, I thought it was secret. I thought no one knew. He of all people. to use it against me."  
  
"What? What are you talking about?"  
  
Again, she continued. "I just. I thought it was all behind me. but somehow, everyone knew my name. Everyone except you, Harry. I didn't know why, but I think I know now. How could he, how could he? Why does he. why did he touch me like he did?"  
  
Harry said nothing, stepping forward to her. He was more confused than ever, but all he knew was he wanted to be as close to Cadence as possible. He sat down next to her and stared into her eyes. "What are you talking about?"  
  
"Now isn't the time to tell you, Harry," she whispered. "I just don't want Draco around me ever again."  
  
"That won't be a problem," he whispered back to her. "Not as long as I'm with you."  
  
Cadence felt a tear creep down her cheek, and finally she lowered her head and looked up at Harry with all the love in her heart. He was surprised that she felt the same way about him that he did her. It was a relief to him as well as scary to see the desperate look on her face.  
  
"Will that be forever, Harry?"  
  
Harry was taken aback by the question, but knew exactly how to answer it. He was nowhere near a master at what he was about to do, but he had done it once before, and knew it would answer her question.  
  
He tilted his head and leaned in to kiss Cadence. She accepted his lips with much compassion, and knew that he meant forever.  
  
What he couldn't understand was that if she wanted him with her forever, why couldn't he know the true meaning behind her past?  
  
He was now more than ever determined to find out.  
  
"Harry, she'll hate you!"  
  
"Please, Ron! You have to help me!"  
  
"Ask her."  
  
"I can't," Harry shot.  
  
"She'll be upset if you go sneaking around behind her back, trying to figure out her history, just ask her!" Ron yelled back.  
  
The sixth year Gryffindors were in History of Magic after lunch, and Harry had been given a stern lecture by Professor McGonagall, not to mention ten points had been taken from Gryffindor. He felt terrible for Cadence more than anything. She had suddenly gone from happy to depressed and he hated it. Even he could not cheer her up. However, in the past few days her overall malaise seemed to be drifting, and he couldn't hasten, no matter what he did.  
  
Yet he had promised himself he was going to find out what happened to Cadence, at any cost. He asked Ron for help that day, but surprisingly, Ron had adamantly refused.  
  
"I want no part in this. You need to ask her yourself," he had responded.  
  
How could he ask her when she didn't want him in on it yet? He needed to know, it was driving him absolutely crazy.  
  
"Come on, Ron, please, will you help me?"  
  
"No!" Ron yelled with finality, and turned back to his studies.  
  
Harry pulled out his wand and shot from it, a piece of paper that had the writing that said 'Please, help me!' on it.  
  
Ron pulled out his own wand; shooting the floating paper and making it turn to dust. He shook his head and turned back to his work.  
  
Harry bit the insides of his cheeks as he stared at his hands. He needed help, he needed guidance, he needed to find out what Cadence Cartwright was all about. How was he going to do it alone?  
  
He decided that Ron was going to be no help, and instead went searching on his own. He spent all of his time during lunch in the library, looking up anything he could of Cadence's last name, and even went to the Hogwarts Family Tree book. Still, he found nothing. He knew that her parents had once lived in London and had gone to Hogwarts, but there was nothing on any Cartwright that he could see.  
  
He gave up after lunch was over, remembering that he had to meet Cadence after classes on the pitch. He didn't want it to seem like he had been doing anything he shouldn't have been.  
  
Cadence rushed out to the field with Ginny, armed with practice Quidditch balls and their brooms. She was in the mood to get some frustration off of her chest, and to do that, she had to play serious Quidditch. Ginny was up for it.  
  
After throwing up the 'Quaffle,' Cadence flew up as quickly as she could after it, and got to it half a second before Ginny did. She grabbed it, zooming down the field, and throwing it through the nearest hoop. Ginny barely had a chance to blink.  
  
"Holy cricket," she gasped.  
  
"What?" Cadence asked, flying up beside her.  
  
"Where did you learn to play like that?"  
  
Cadence shrugged. "Well, my father has been teaching me since I could fly a broomstick properly. Why, is that any good?"  
  
"Is that any good?" Ginny laughed. "Why."  
  
"It's great," finished a voice from below them.  
  
"What is it with you and sneaking up on people?" Ginny called down. Cadence looked and saw Ron and Harry standing below them, shielding their eyes as they gazed upward.  
  
Cadence smiled and flew down to greet the boys. "Hello, Harry, Ron."  
  
Ron was not speaking. His mouth was hanging open. "I've never seen anyone besides Harry fly that well before."  
  
Cadence frowned. "Are you sure?"  
  
"Positive."  
  
She smiled. "Where's Hermione?" she asked suddenly, trying to ease the tension she felt at that moment.  
  
"Studying in the library, we're meeting up later," Ron answered as if he hadn't even heard the question.  
  
"What position do you play?" Harry asked finally, snapping back to life.  
  
"Uh. well. I." she began. She had only wanted to play a game, and now she felt as though like she had been flashing her talent.  
  
"She's a Chaser," Ginny answered for her, seeing the way her friend faltered.  
  
"A Chaser? Are you serious?" Harry exclaimed excitedly.  
  
Ginny nodded. "Yes, she is."  
  
"Well. I."  
  
"What if you were on the Quidditch team, Cadence?" Ron piped up out of nowhere, as if reading his friend's thoughts.  
  
"The Gryffindor Quidditch team? Well. I don't know," Cadence said, surprised it had been brought up.  
  
Harry stared at her, not sure what to expect. If she could be on the Quidditch team with them, they would have a chance of winning the Cup again. Not only that, but it would give him an excuse to be around her more often.  
  
"Please?" he whispered.  
  
That was all it took for Cadence's mouth to close, a solemn look to pass over her face, and her head to nod forward. "Sure," she whispered after a second.  
  
Harry's green eyes fluttered with enthusiasm and hope. "This is great! I have to go talk to McGonagall right away! You'll come with me, won't you?" he asked, taking her hand.  
  
"I have no choice," she muttered when he didn't wait for an answer and dragged her along for the haul.  
  
They were up in McGonagall's quarters within a matter of minutes. Her stern head shot up and she gazed over her spectacles at the two running crazily.  
  
"What in the world are you careening about so carelessly for, Mr. Potter?" she asked.  
  
"I've found a Chaser!" he exclaimed happily.  
  
It was as if a light had suddenly been turned on in McGonagall's normally somber face. She gave half a smile. "So you have. Miss Cartwright, how much training have you had?"  
  
"My father has been training me for almost ten years," she whispered.  
  
McGonagall looked at Harry, obviously impressed. "Well, I don't see why she shouldn't, if she's as good as you say she is, Potter. Do you want to be on the team, my dear?"  
  
With the expectant look that McGonagall was giving her, and the pleading one she was getting from Harry, she couldn't say no. Besides, she had always dreamed of putting to use her extensive skills in Quidditch.  
  
"I would love to," she whispered.  
  
After discussing when practices were, and when Cadence would be fitted for her Quidditch robes, she stormed out of McGonagall's quarters and tried to get back to her room before Harry could catch up to her. However, she was not quick enough.  
  
"Cadence!" she heard behind her. "Cadence! Hold on a bit, please!"  
  
She ignored his cries and blasted through the portrait hole. She almost made it through the common room before Harry grabbed her arm.  
  
"What is the matter? I thought you were happy!"  
  
"Happy?" Cadence asked, ripping her arm from Harry's grasp. "Of course I'm happy! I'm on the Gryffindor Quidditch team! Why shouldn't I be happy?"  
  
"Then why are you running from me?" Harry asked, stepping closer.  
  
"I. I didn't want to make it out to be a big deal, and that's what it seems like it's become," she whispered in confession, staying rooted in one spot.  
  
"Didn't want to make what out to be a big deal?" he asked, venturing to get closer to her.  
  
She still didn't stir. "The fact that I've been training so long. I just wanted to get out of here and vent my frustration, I didn't want to make a huge deal out of how long I've been doing this, and if I'm even all that good. I think it's great that I'm on the team. but I don't want it to be known that I've been trained at home for as long as I can remember."  
  
Now they were getting somewhere. Harry took her hands gingerly. "And why not?"  
  
She said nothing. Her dark brown eyes drifted from their conjoined hands up Harry's body, paused longingly on his lips, and then back up to his eyes. "I. I."  
  
Before she could answer, Harry was bringing his head down to meet her lips. She felt his graze hers before the portrait hole flew open and startled, the two flew apart.  
  
Hermione, Ron, and Ginny were standing there, staring at the two. "Well. what's going on?"  
  
Harry cleared his throat and looked sideways at Cadence. She said nothing, smiled pleasantly at the three, and turned for the dorms. Before Harry could say anything, Ginny sighed and ran after Cadence. 


	7. Speeding Bullet Chaser

Chapter 7  
Speeding Bullet Chaser  
  
Stick. Check. Robes. Check. Equipment. Check. Panic. double check.  
  
Standing in front of the mirror, clad in her Quidditch robes, Cadence felt almost out of place. For years upon years she had studied and practiced Quidditch, but she had never thought she would get the chance to appear on the field.  
  
Nor had she thought that her parents wouldn't be watching her, applauding and cheering for her in the stands while she was on the grounds. She didn't want people getting anywhere closer to the truth than they already were, and being good at Quidditch would only hasten that process.  
  
It was only minutes before she'd hear her name being called from down in the common room. Then she would have to join the team, go out to the pitch, and perform in her first ever real Quidditch game.  
  
She made sure everything was on right, her clammy hand clutching her broom handle for dear life. She had pulled her hair back into a tight ponytail and was now staring at herself so intensely she thought the mirror would shatter if she looked harder.  
  
The practices had gone extremely well the past two weeks she had been on the team. Since that time, they had recruited the members necessary for regulation Quidditch, and she was surprised how well she had gotten along.  
  
There was practice every day at seven, which gave Cadence enough time to study for an hour with Hagrid, do her homework, put on her practice gear, and head out to the field. Of course, this left her feeling guilty because she had made no time to spend with Ginny. Ginny told her that she understood, and that time with her in class was better than none at all. Cadence had asked her a couple of times if she wanted to spend some time talking in the common room after her practice at nine, but since Ginny was too busy studying for O.W.L.s, she had declined.  
  
She still felt hollow inside, no matter what she did with her time. She was constantly busy now, doing more than she had ever hoped to do when she came to Hogwarts. Quidditch practice, homework, 'independent study' with Hagrid. and a best friend. what were the odds?  
  
Yet as she thought and as she recollected all of the things she now had in her life, she looked down at her feet (which, incidentally were clad in uncomfortably tight Quidditch boots) and remembered the most important thing. Harry.  
  
If kissing him twice, holding his hand, and spending two hours a night with him wasn't enough, they were sending and receiving daily owls to each other.  
  
Even after Quidditch practice, he was always sure to tell her what a great job she did and then give her pointers on what to do better. Usually it wasn't much. He always had a look about his face when she said goodbye that made her want to stay longer. He stayed behind to pack everything up, and she went straight to the showers and then to bed. She had no chance of bumping into him afterward. It dismayed her that the only time she could spend with him was during practice. However, they still stole glances that meant something more than 'catch the Quaffle.'  
  
Harry. He was everything she never knew that she had always wanted. He was perfect in so many ways for her. He was almost a foot taller than her. According to Ginny, he had shot up out of nowhere, almost beating her brother in height. His painfully untidy black hair only made him that much more boyish, as opposed to the man he was so obviously becoming. He had the broad and sparkling smile of someone as beautiful inside as out.  
  
And then there were his eyes. The bright green emerald shone as if the sun had been created beyond them. What gave her the biggest thrill about them was that the twinkle within them was reserved for her. and only her.  
  
"Cadence Cartwright! Let's go!"  
  
She shook off the fuzz that clouded her mind and then suddenly, it all hit her again. Her hands once again became clammy, her heart thudded in her chest, and she felt the tension rise up in her stomach as she clung to her broom.  
  
"This is it."  
  
Clambering down the stairs in her boots, she made sure her robes were secure and followed one of the female players down to the common room, where the rest of the team was meeting.  
  
When Cadence made it down the stairs, Harry was giving the rest of the team a pep talk before heading out. They all looked up as she entered the circle and Harry gave Cadence the smile she knew he gave to her only.  
  
"Are you ready?"  
  
She nodded, too nervous to speak.  
  
"All right then. If that's it, we're off! 'Go Gryffindor' on three!"  
  
They put their hands in a circle as Harry gave off the count, "1, 2, 3, GO GRYFFINDOR!"  
  
The team turned and began a march to the field. No one said anything as they gripped their brooms tightly, biting their lips, scratching their heads, clenching their fists, or just breathing. Angst arose in each player as they got closer and closer to the cheers, the stadium, and the field. However, after a few more steps, the angst started to turn into excitement.  
  
Cadence let her eyes drift upward, and her ears finally opened to the screams and cheers coming from inside. She felt her heart go berserk inside her chest and she smiled. Ten years of training was going to be worth it to hear everyone screaming 'Go Gryffindor!' the team she was on.  
  
It was Cadence's turn to get excited. She smiled wider with each step she took and found her heart thudding was more her anxiousness to get up on her broom.  
  
They stopped and waited for the gates to open and allow them access to the field. Harry looked at Cadence, who was tactically placed next to him. She was bouncing up and down, as if she were standing on hot coals.  
  
"Anxious?" he asked with half of a smirk.  
  
"A little."  
  
"Understandable," he chuckled.  
  
She found the nerve to reach out and give him a jab to the shoulder. "Leave me alone. This is my first real game, in front of a real audience." Did I just tell him that?  
  
Did she just say that? "Oh is it?"  
  
She became flustered as a flush crept up her cheeks and to her ears. "Well."  
  
Luckily, she was cut off when the gate opened and the entire team mounted their sticks. She flew out freely, and as she heard the cheers coming from below her, it made her smile and fly higher. She did a few quick cuts and turns and finally, took her position on the middle of the field as she watched Madam Hooch step out below her.  
  
She looked up at Harry, who was. again. strategically placed right next to her. With his right hand, he clutched the end of his broom, and with his left hand, he reached out and put it on top of hers.  
  
She looked up at him, and for a brief moment, something flickered in Harry's eyes that almost made her fall off. Just as quickly as she had seen it, it disappeared and she had to pay attention to what was going on below her.  
  
Cadence looked up quickly enough to notice that the Slytherin team, led by none other than Draco, was in position. Draco's eyes however, were not on the box below. They were burning into her own. She felt a chill run down her spine and vowed to herself that she was going to pay attention to the Quaffle and only the Quaffle, so she could make a good impression and remain on the team.  
  
The commentator announced that the Snitch had flown out of the box, although Cadence couldn't see it. Harry and Draco's heads moved in rhythm and she suddenly had a good idea where it had gone.  
  
The Bludgers came flying up out of the box next, and Cadence ducked to avoid the nasty balls.  
  
All she could feel at that sudden moment was her heart thudding this way and that. The Quaffle was going to be released, and she had been chosen to zoom in and grab it first chance she got. She didn't want to mess anything up, but she had a distinct feeling that she would.  
  
In slow motion, it all happened. The ball flew up and Cadence seized her opportunity. She dipped the end of her stick forward and flew in for the kill. The three Slytherin Chasers noticed what she was doing and five seconds after she had done it they dipped in as well. She snatched the Quaffle, flew below all of them, dodged the first Bludger she knew was coming right for her, and flew like a bullet toward the hoops. She heard nothing but the wind gushing in her ears. She almost had time to wonder where the crowd had gone.  
  
She threw the Quaffle in and finally, heard the crowd again. She smiled at her teammates as they retrieved the ball.  
  
Slytherin was suddenly up on her and she could feel the Bludger coming from behind. She looked to one of her teammates as they threw the Quaffle in the air. Seeing the opposing Chasers coming up from behind, she sped through the air once again, and within a matter of seconds, she had scored another ten points for Gryffindor.  
  
She flowed through the game like it was nothing, going in and out of all sense and focusing solely on the game. She sometimes could hear the roar of the crowd, she could sometimes hear the cheering of the commentator. One thing she could always hear was the wind. it was always booming in her ears, flying past her eyes and almost through her skin. The feel of that ball in her arms was like coming home.  
  
And within three minutes, Gryffindor was up by sixty.  
  
It seemed as though nothing could ever go wrong in Cadence's life. everything was finally at a rest. All she knew was she was on the Quidditch field she was successful and close to Harry. He had flown up beside her several times and had even assisted in helping her score once. She was finally at peace with everything. She even wondered if she was facing another team.  
  
Before she could think twice, she heard a hissing voice behind her.  
  
"Things are going quite well for you, my dear?"  
  
She barely even heard it, but turned just in time to sigh and shake her head. "Not today, Malfoy."  
  
It would be the first time she ever referred to him the way Harry always did. Harry. The mere thought of his name-  
  
"What could be so bad about me talking to you right now?" he asked in a labored voice. He was gaining on her quickly, which surprised her. "Oh yes," he said, reaching out to touch her.  
  
She was too quick for him. She dodged out of his and a Bludger's way at the same time and then remained in one spot. Draco only flew closer.  
  
"Don't waste your time on this team. You're too good for them. They're nothing but a bunch of ragged, incompetent, indolent idiots! You need to be with us."  
  
Her jaw dropped. "Stay away from me, Malfoy."  
  
"Why is it now, Malfoy?"  
  
"Because you're too inferior to be referred to by your first name."  
  
His jaw was clenched and he flew closer to her as she dodged in and out of other players and Bludgers. He raised his eyebrows and then whispered, "This is about Potter again, right?"  
  
She said nothing.  
  
"Are you in love with him?"  
  
Her heart shot into her throat.  
  
"Are you in love with someone as lowly, arrogant, and pretentious as that hot headed moron?"  
  
She saw red. "MORON?" she screamed. She turned her head and stared Draco right in the face. "What I don't understand, MALFOY is if he is such the moron, how come he is doing his job as Quidditch Seeker and Captain while you're over here trying to irk me?"  
  
Draco merely flew closer to her, reaching out a hand to touch her. She yanked away. "Because you deserve someone better than him."  
  
"And you think that person is you?"  
  
"It's obviously me."  
  
"Then I only see one moron."  
  
Draco bit his lip and fury flooded his face. He smacked Cadence across the face, and then proceeded to shove her off of her broom.  
  
Cadence screamed and then felt her sweaty fingers lose grip.  
  
Draco flew up next to her and hissed into her ear, "If things work my way, Cadence Cartwright, there won't be anything for me to steal from your precious Potter. I bet you'd like that?"  
  
She let out a tremendous cry and felt a sudden rush of wind behind her, and she knew that Draco was no longer behind her. Slytherin had just scored and cheers arose from the corresponding side of the stadium. Cadence struggled for dear life to get back up onto her broom. She screamed until she was hoarse and just as she thought she had a tight enough grip to get back up, a strong, hard object hit her in the back and she felt herself falling. falling.  
  
And nothing.  
  
"Her eyes are opening!"  
  
"Can she hear us?"  
  
"I don't know, find out!"  
  
"Cadence? Cadence? Can you hear me?"  
  
"Oh that's going to do a lot, you nitwit!"  
  
"Well at least I'm trying!"  
  
"Her lids are fluttering!"  
  
"Cadence. Open your eyes. Look at me. What do you see?"  
  
Green eyes.  
  
"Harry?" Cadence rasped.  
  
Harry's bright smile could light up the entire room. "That's right, love. It's me."  
  
"Where am I?" Her eyes began to focus, and she saw that Harry was sitting on the bed, clutching her hand tightly in his. His rumpled hair was in a state of chaotic frenzy, his glasses were on crooked, his face and hands were covered with dirt and dried blood, and he was still wearing his Quidditch robes. Ginny was on her immediate left, eyes wide open and mouth formed together in a thin line. Ron and Hermione stood behind Harry, squabbling quietly.  
  
"You're in the hospital wing," came Ginny's soft voice after a long pause. "Tell me you remember what happened!"  
  
"Remember what?"  
  
Ginny and Harry exchanged frozen looks and then looked back at Cadence.  
  
"Remember what?" she repeated, now starting to get upset. She couldn't recall what had happened or how she had ended up where she was.  
  
Harry looked over his shoulder. Ron and Hermione stopped bickering, stared back at Harry and nodded. They left the room, hand in hand. Ginny followed reluctantly after being persuaded to by Harry.  
  
Cadence watched them leave and then sat up slowly in the bed. She felt sore all over, especially in her back. It hurt her to talk, and she had trouble getting a fairly good grip on Harry's hand, even though he was clinging to her for dear life.  
  
"What's going on?"  
  
Harry readjusted his position on the bed and said nothing. He simply stared down at her and then opened his mouth to speak. "Can I call you Cadie?"  
  
She had always hated that nickname. Her mother and grandmother had used it constantly and she had despised it. Yet somehow, coming off of Harry's lips, it sounded like music.  
  
She smiled. "Yes."  
  
"The Quidditch game was going fine. more than that. I was so impressed. You were doing better than I had ever seen you. Better than I had ever envisioned. You were in this complete trance like state, dodging everything expertly, throwing the ball in six times in a row. I was so captivated. I wasn't sure if you'd notice that I flew up next to you, but something just drew me. Like I had to get close to you."  
  
Cadence listened with fervor, still not recollecting anything.  
  
"But then, I found the Snitch, and I was going after it. and before I could grab it, I looked up and I saw that Malfoy was trying to bother you. Even though I was half tempted to go over there and knock him off his broom for what he was doing, I had to restrain myself. I went looking for the Snitch again. Then I heard a scream, and I knew without a doubt it was you. I saw you hanging off of your broom, and that was my chance."  
  
As she listened, bits and pieces flew back to her. She remembered the beginning of the game and how she had scored so many points. She recalled the trance. but the part about Draco she had no memory of at that point.  
  
"I flew on that broom over to both of you so fast that I was sure I was going to fly off myself. I hurled myself at Malfoy. He went flying backward, and he almost got caught off his broom. He came back at me and stupidly picked up both of his hands and tried to shove me off of mine. I was hanging on too tightly, and then he flew up and grabbed me by the neck, so I grabbed both of his hands and tried to knock him off, and then he came up with some brilliant plan. I saw it in his eyes. He pushed me right into the back of you, and you fell. When I felt myself hit you, I pawed Malfoy off of me, and I flew like mad after you, but it was too late. I hit the dirt. Scratched up my face and hands pretty bad, but all I cared about was you."  
  
She stared into his eyes and saw that he was sincere. In an instant, it all came to her. She saw the same flicker in his eyes she had noticed before the game and remembered. Everything that Draco said flew back to her, and she remembered hanging for dear life from her broom. She remembered getting the sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach that she'd never be able to tell Harry what she wanted to tell him. She remembered how much dread had gone through her body when she realized that once she fell. it was over. No more Harry.  
  
"I remember," she whispered.  
  
"What did he say to you?" Harry whispered back almost immediately.  
  
He squeezed her hand and she tried to squeeze it back. She shook her head but he urged her to continue.  
  
"Well. he was trying to get me going. it was nothing."  
  
Harry sighed. "Say it. Was he talking badly about me again?"  
  
"Harry-"  
  
"No, Cadie! You have to understand this about Draco Malfoy. I can't stand him! I loathe the idiot! I sometimes hope he had never interfered with my life, but I can't change that. I don't know what to say or do to convince myself that this will all blow over. He's an evil creature from head to toe. There's a lot I know he would do, but I am having much trouble figuring this one out. Why would he try and dissuade you from being with me? I have no idea why he wanted you knocked off your broom, or why he wanted me to do it. I just. I am so confused. What did he say to you? Why did you. just. why?"  
  
Tears formed in Cadence's eyes when a downpour of understanding came upon her head. She knew what she was going to say, she just wasn't sure how to get it out.  
  
"Harry. it wasn't what he said about you that made me so upset. I don't need him to try and discourage me about you. I have my mind made up about that already," she whispered, and Harry attempted to smile.  
  
"What was it then? Please tell me," his voice lowered in intensity as he sat down and held her hands, waiting for an explanation.  
  
"It was something he said that scared me beyond any doubt."  
  
"And what did he say?"  
  
"He spoke my true feelings. He spoke my heart. He spoke the truth, and it was scary."  
  
"What did he say?'  
  
She gulped, and decided the only way to say it was all at once. "He asked me if I was in love with you."  
  
Silence followed. Cadence had feared the inevitable response to this. What she feared most of all was looking into Harry's eyes. There was a chance that they would read the exact opposite of what she had said. But a small whisper of, "Cadie," brought her eyes up to his.  
  
Her heart leapt in her chest when pure love, devotion, and relief spilled from within the emerald stones behind the spectacles. "I think I am too," he whispered.  
  
Within the next couple of minutes, he and Cadence realized their true devotion to one another. Harry kissed Cadence so gently that she knew deep into his and her own soul. it was true. 


	8. Beautiful People

Chapter 8  
Beautiful People  
  
Harry had stayed by her side until Madam Pomfrey threatened to kick him out. He went to bed that night with so much on his mind, he was sure he'd never get to sleep. Yet somehow, he had drifted and was surprised when he felt Ron shaking him awake a few hours later.  
  
He dressed, got ready, went down to the common room and ate breakfast in complete silence. Still in deep thought, he could barely focus on anything around him. It wasn't until Hermione shook him at breakfast that he finally began to come back to the conscious realm.  
  
"Harry, are you all right?" she asked fearfully.  
  
He shook his head of the fog and then looked at Hermione. He laughed, digging into the breakfast he didn't even know was on his plate. "Why wouldn't I be?"  
  
"Should we really list it, Harry?" Ron piped up, talking with food in his mouth.  
  
Harry sighed, leaning his head in one hand while he played with his food. All he could think about was Cadence, but what he was thinking about didn't have to do with her being in the hospital.  
  
He couldn't believe what she had told him. Not only had he wanted to tell her, but he had been hoping she felt the same way too. In fact, he was praying that she shared the same feelings he did. He admired her courage for saying it first, because he had spent all day trying to work up the nerve to even talk to her.  
  
All he was concerned with was the fact that if she loved him as much as he loved her, why couldn't she share her life with him? He had told her everything. and she had told him bits and pieces. How far did he have to go to learn the truth?  
  
He let his eyes gaze over to the others at the table. They settled on the spot where Cadence usually sat. It was empty, and staring at it made Harry feel empty. It seemed so odd to him to feel that way just staring into thin air. He couldn't stop it from settling deep inside of him.  
  
He sighed. To only know Cadence. To have it be so easy as to just waltz up to her and say, "Tell me about your life." He had already tried that and obviously, it had not worked.  
  
So he had made the solemn promise to himself that he was going to try his hardest to figure the mystery that was Cadence Cartwright out.  
  
Every day between classes he made sure to go visit her. The end of class could never come soon enough. He impatiently tapped his feet, twiddled his thumbs, packed up his books, opened and closed his things several times and stared at the clocks hanging on the wall.  
  
"Mr. Potter, is there a problem?" McGonagall snapped at him one day. "I assume you have better things to do than listen to my lesson on transfiguring today? So please. Share."  
  
Harry felt his ears flush red and his face got hot. He mumbled something inaudibly and stared at his books.  
  
"Excuse me? I don't believe I heard that."  
  
Harry could feel the many pairs of eyes burning into the back of his head. "I'm going to go visit Cadence." The word Cadence drifted slowly and he could hear the snickers.  
  
"Who, Mr. Potter?"  
  
"Cadence."  
  
Professor McGonagall stared at Harry over the rim of her spectacles. "She can wait five minutes in the hospital wing until the end of my lesson, Mr. Potter."  
  
He stared down at his feet the remainder of the class and flew like mad out of the room to the hospital wing.  
  
Cadence was sitting up in bed, awake and full of life. She was anxious to leave the wing and get back to her normal routine.  
  
"Hey, you!" Harry greeted when he saw that she was awake.  
  
"On time, as usual," she welcomed cheerfully.  
  
"I've finished my last class, and until seven, I'm yours," he said, a wide smile on his face that he otherwise wouldn't have recognized.  
  
"If I can stand you that long," she scoffed, rolling her eyes. An unrecognizably broad smile graced Cadence's face as well.  
  
He sat down on the edge of her bed, setting down his books. "You know you love me."  
  
She sighed jokingly. "Yeah, I guess I do."  
  
"So. did Ginny bring you your work for today?"  
  
Cadence nodded, pointing at a stack of books and papers next to her bed. "Half of which I am too incapacitated to do."  
  
He laughed and smiled adoringly at her. How could it be that he had never felt this way about anyone before? It was a wonderful feeling to have deep inside, to laugh and smile and feel light all over when just one other person did the same. How could he have missed out on something so wonderful?  
  
But as he looked at her, he knew. He knew that deep into his very soul, the only way he could have ever felt like that, was if Cadence had entered his life sooner. There was no one else in the world that could make him smile and make him feel as light as he did at that very moment.  
  
She must have felt it too, all over her body, because she suddenly took his hand and he could feel her pulse throb into his own.  
  
"I know how it feels now. and I don't know how I missed it."  
  
It was as if she was reading his exact thoughts. It amazed him. "I don't know how either," he finally whispered back.  
  
"Hey," she broke the silence after a few seconds and reached down under the bed.  
  
"Are you sure you should be moving around so much?" he asked, furrowing his brow.  
  
She only laughed. "Harry, don't worry about me. I'm not going to hurt myself. I'm only a bit sore. I didn't break any ribs. this time."  
  
Cadence reappeared with a box in her hand and saw that Harry hadn't found her last comment to be very funny. She chuckled and put her hand on his cheek. It warmed him in no way he had ever known. "Lighten up! I'm kidding!"  
  
He suddenly couldn't resist the temptation to smile. Cadence watched as his face broke out into a miraculous grin and she relished in it. He shifted his face over to kiss the palm of her hand. "What is this?" he asked, looking down at the box in her hands.  
  
"Oh," she said, as if forgetting it was there. She sat up further in her bed and Harry shifted as well. She unlocked the small antique box that was wrapped up in fancy lace ribbon. The lid popped open and Cadence smiled as if a faint memory had touched her.  
  
"It's all so beautiful," she whispered. She lifted out picture among picture and set them on the bed. Harry took it upon himself to look at the photos, and smiled as if he had been touched by the same memory as well. The pictures were obviously of Cadence's family, he saw her in many of them.  
  
As he sorted through the family treasury, Cadence pulled out a framed picture and set it on the cabinet next to her. Harry let the other pictures drift to his lap as he stared at the frame Cadence had put on the nightstand.  
  
The frame was exquisite. It was bronzed; obviously an old heirloom through which had been passed down in Cadence's family. Yet the frame was not the most admirable part of the treasure. It was an old wedding picture, very obviously of Cadence's parents.  
  
"Are these.?" Harry asked, leaning forward to get a better look. It was almost as if she was finally answering his prayers, and opening up a bit of herself to him.  
  
"Yes," she whispered, watching him with delight. It was finally time to start letting him in. She hoped that within all efforts, he wouldn't become frightened and leave. She didn't know how she would deal with losing not only her parents, but Harry as well.  
  
Harry dared to lift the picture off of where Cadence had set it. He stared at it for so long she didn't know what he was going to do.  
  
"Harry?" she whispered.  
  
"Wow," he breathed back in awe. "This is remarkable."  
  
A warmth crept inside of Cadence. "What do you mean?" she asked, relaxing against her pillow and sighing.  
  
"Cadie. it's so obvious now."  
  
"What is?" A bit of fear started to seep into her. That comment had so many different angles.  
  
Harry only touched the picture lightly with the tips of his fingers. "It's no wonder you're as wonderful and beautiful as you are. All you have to do is stare at this picture long enough to understand."  
  
Cadence dropped her eyes down to her hands. It was what she had always wanted someone to say, yet the words not only filled her with hope and love, they filled her with an empty sadness. Tears stung in her eyes and she felt them drip out of her eyes onto the blanket.  
  
Harry heard her sniffle and set the picture back down on the nightstand. "Cadie?" he whispered gently, leaning in and taking her hand. "What's wrong?"  
  
Cadence didn't want to look at him, but knew that if she was going to finally start letting him in, she shouldn't be afraid to let him see her pained. "I feel so empty without them, Harry."  
  
Harry stared at her, his eyes feeding off of everything she was so bravely allowing him to see. He still didn't know how to do it. He wasn't sure how to let her see that he could cry. He wanted to, but didn't know if he ever could.  
  
"I never knew life without them. I had no friends, Harry. they trained me at home for so long to become the perfect witch daughter. I just never knew why. They wouldn't tell me. I didn't understand it," she rambled through her tears. "I never had anyone except for them. Then they were taken away from me. I wasn't sure where I was going to go after that. And then I came here, and the first time I saw you, Harry. it just made sense."  
  
Harry didn't know what to say. All he could do was listen. Truthfully, he wanted to cry right along with her. For so many years he had wondered where his parents had ever gone, what they were really like, why they had left. A lot of his questions had been answered, but none of it ever truly made sense to him. not until the day he saw Cadence on the train. Suddenly, it seemed like everything had fallen into place. It was almost as if it was all a set up plan from a long time before. leading up to the day he and Cadence would meet.  
  
"I just. I miss them so much," she said, breaking into a fresh burst of tears, and this time, Harry knew what to do. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into a close embrace, allowing her to sob on his shoulder.  
  
"I. I can't say I know what it feels like," Harry whispered, finally finding his voice to speak. "But I know what it's like to have no one around that cares."  
  
Cadence sobbed, holding him tighter. "I thought I was going to remain an unloved orphan my whole life," he said, speaking uneasily. "Then I got accepted to Hogwarts and I finally found my real home. It was a life I had never known. I made friends and had more information than I had ever wanted to know thrown at me. Yet, I would give all of it up to talk to my parents one time. just once."  
  
"To see them once more," Cadence whispered after she was through sobbing. "Would be worth everything."  
  
"We have a lot in common," Harry whispered back, lifting Cadence's chin in his direction to look into his eyes. "But if we help each other. if we can overcome it, we'll be better off than most people I know who have full families. As long as we have each other."  
  
Cadence stared into his jade green eyes, twinkling behind his large, black- rimmed glasses. She took one look at the picture of her parents sitting so closely next to her and knew that everything was finally as it was meant to be.  
  
She looked back at Harry. "I love you."  
  
"Cartwright. C. Cart. where are you?"  
  
"Harry James Potter!"  
  
Harry nearly jumped out of his skin while studying the many shelves in the Hogwarts library. It was only Hermione, but she had said his name forcefully (and fully) enough to know he was in trouble.  
  
"What is it, Hermione?" he asked, turning back to the shelves.  
  
"Ron told me you'd be down here," she said, approaching him fiercely.  
  
"Yeah. So?" Harry shrugged, looking through the books.  
  
He felt her tug at his sweater and turn him around so vigorously that he was sure for a second it wasn't Hermione behind him.  
  
"He told me about what you asked him and I am not impressed!" she yelled, a severity in her voice that he had never heard before.  
  
"Hermione! Calm down!"  
  
"I will not calm down!" she screamed at him. "I know what you're doing Harry, and it's not going to get you anywhere!"  
  
"What are you talking about?" Harry asked, trying to escape from her surprisingly firm grip.  
  
She backed up finally, letting him go and staring at him, this time a softer look coming about her face. "You'll lose her."  
  
Harry closed his eyes and set his head against the books. "There's something about her that I can't figure out, Hermione. I don't know what to do. I've asked her, I've talked to her. I need to know."  
  
"She'll tell you when it is time for you to know," she told him, her voice gentler than before.  
  
"It's not as simple as that," he said exasperatedly, looking away from her.  
  
"Well then you're going to have to give her some patience. Harry," she said, stepping closer to him. "I know what it's like. believe me. I know what it's like to be in love so deeply that you need to know every single thing about that person. Inside and out. I would never, in my entire life, go sneaking around behind Ron's back. I'd confront him. I could never risk losing him. You need to learn that as well."  
  
Harry sighed, staring at Hermione. "It's different with you and Ron. You were friends for so many years and you already knew everything there was to know about each other."  
  
"No," Hermione argued. "Love is not different, no matter how many times you mix up the situation. Love is love, and when you betray the trust of love, it is not as easily obtained again."  
  
Harry stared down at the girl looking at him. The first time he had ever met Hermione, she had only been a small, youthful girl with bright brown eyes and bushy light hair. She was all about books, getting her homework done, and over exceeding what was necessary of her to make the grade. Yet now as he looked at her, it was hard to tell that it was the same Hermione Granger he had met five years ago. She was now a much more mature woman of sixteen who had more important things on her mind than books and homework. She was a girl that made his best friend happier than he had ever seen him and for so long he had envied Ron. He had never dreamt of finding someone he could love as much as Hermione and Ron loved each other.  
  
Yet for whatever reason, he had found one person to share his love with. He would go to any extremity to make sure she never left him. There was one thing he couldn't handle however, and that was the fact that she held back the truth.  
  
"Harry, don't do it. Don't risk it. I would never do anything to jeopardize my relationship with Ron, just as I recommend you do nothing to do this with Cadence. I know what love feels like, I know how badly it would hurt to lose the person you love more than anything, so listen to me. Give it up and let her tell you. You'll lose her if you don't."  
  
Hermione stared at him for a few more seconds, brushed her dark, curly hair behind her ears and turned around to leave.  
  
Harry finally found his voice and yelled, "Hermione!"  
  
She stopped and whirled around. Harry stared at his feet and then looked back up at Hermione. "Thanks."  
  
She smiled and turned around again, leaving the library.  
  
Harry sighed heavily, looking all around him. It was time to leave. Hermione was right. He couldn't risk losing her to something she would eventually tell him anyway and had come so close to saying earlier that day.  
  
He turned around to leave, gathering the books he had gotten as a means of disguise, and set out of the library. He had Quidditch practice in ten minutes, and tons of homework to attend to.  
  
What he hadn't counted on was walking three or four short paces and tripping over a loose floorboard. The books in his hands went flying forward and he tumbled down.  
  
"OW!" he screamed, pulling his knees up to his chest. He cut open his black pants and there was a small gash where he had fallen.  
  
However something else out of the corner of his eye caught his attention. The floorboard he had tripped over had come loose. He pulled up the floorboard. Darkness crept out underneath. 


	9. Time to Get Answers

Chapter 9  
Time to Get Answers  
  
Harry moved the loose floorboard out of the way, and looked each way to make sure no one was around. He peered down into the hole and saw nothing but darkness. He pulled out his wand very discreetly, whispered, "Lumos," and instantly, a light shot out of the end of his wand.  
  
It amazed him to see a large vault, almost identical to the one that Cadence had pulled out of from under her bed. Curious, he reached in and pulled it out.  
  
He was right. It was the exact vault that he had seen Cadence holding, only the lace that wrapped this vault was nowhere near as pretty and fancy as what had been around Cadence's box.  
  
He looked around, still making sure no one was looking, and the best of his curiosity overtook him. He unwrapped the ribbon, and with a trembling hand, he unlocked the box. Somehow, he got the distinct impression that whatever was in this vault was not going to be to his liking.  
  
The box opened, and a musty smell came from within it. The longer he had it out and the more he stared at it, the more he realized that it looked nothing like the beautiful vault Cadence held in her hands. Of course, Cadence's beauty made everything she was around just as wonderful.  
  
Once the dust had been cleared and he could see, he stared into the box. It was empty except for a few moldy, yellowed pictures.  
  
His brow furrowed, and he reached in cautiously to grab the stack of papers. They were almost crisped, as if they would disintegrate in his hands.  
  
It was almost as if a force within him was telling him to put the pictures back. He didn't want to learn the truth of what these pictures contained. but something stronger in his brain made him turn the pictures around to face him.  
  
He took a deep breath and calmed himself, closing his eyes to take a few seconds. Then on the count of three, he opened his eyes and looked down at them.  
  
His breath caught in his throat. He had never taken the time to get to know his fellow classmate, Neville Longbottom, but he was definitely sure that the people in the particular picture he was holding were Neville's parents. He'd found out two years ago what had really become of Neville's parents. He couldn't bear to stare at them any longer.  
  
But he did.  
  
He was horrified more and more with each picture he saw and almost screamed when he saw the picture of his mother and father.  
  
They fell to the floor and he stood up quickly, as if there were a virus that he would catch. Tears fell out of his eyes and spilled onto his cheeks. He wiped them away furiously and stood above them, staring at the pictures below him. He stared at his father's face, an unbelievable resemblance to his own. The kind eyes, the untidy hair, the smile, and his beautiful mother on his arm, smiling at the camera. Yet there was a crudeness within the picture and it bothered him to no end to not know what it was. He was moving to put the box away when he saw the thing that made him boil deep inside unlike anything else.  
  
Right underneath the picture of his mother and father. was the same picture of Cadence's parents that he had seen in the frame next to her.  
  
He bent over, shaking from his fingertip to toes, choking on his breath. He picked up the picture and stared at it. Indeed, it was the same two beautiful people he had seen before. Yet as he stared at the picture, there was more and more of a vulgar taste that filled his mouth. Something he couldn't explain, but the feeling was so strong, he wanted to run away immediately.  
  
He finally composed himself, packed up the pictures, and went to put them back in the vault. He wanted nothing to do with this box. this-this. hidden treasury that someone put under the floorboard.  
  
BOOM  
  
It hit him like a ton of bricks. A box of conquers. This was what it was. A box of accomplishments. Someone had stored a ton of pictures in a box, and got some sick sort of pleasure at looking at their triumphs, their defeats.  
  
Their victims.  
  
He shuddered, slamming the lid shut, but stopping when he noticed something inside had glinted at him, catching his eye. He slowly raised the lid again and wondered how he had failed to see the large, round, silver object in the box. He lifted it out slowly and stared at it. It was some kind of necklace. Beautiful in all its glory. He couldn't help thinking he had seen it somewhere before.  
  
He grudgingly looked at the pictures again, seeing that in the picture of his parents, his mom was wearing the necklace. As well as Cadence's mother.  
  
Harry gave a small cry, dropping the necklace and stumbling backward. He put a shaking hand to his mouth, staring wide-eyed at the box.  
  
He wasn't sure how long he sat there, staring at the open vault before he got sick of looking at it.  
  
Harry had put two and two together and the conclusion to his sum had been a most horrific one. Tears streamed down his face as he closed the vault, shoved it back into the floor, and angrily covered the gap with the floorboard. As he heard the wonderful snap that let him know the board was back in place, he swore he could hear distinct evil laughter behind him.  
  
He whirled around to see a stack of books, and a young Ravenclaw student.  
  
"Are you all right, Mr. Potter?"  
  
It didn't surprise him that the student he had never seen before knew his name, but it did surprise him that someone else had been around while he had been so distracted.  
  
He wiped his face angrily, and bent down to grab his books. "I'm fine," he answered gruffly, not looking up.  
  
"Do you need to see the nurse? You're bleeding."  
  
Harry sniffled. The hospital wing, he thought to himself. That's exactly where I need to go.  
  
Time to get answers.  
  
Within his haste, he noticed that he had neglected to put the necklace back in the box. Instead of leaving it, he picked it up and shoved it into his pocket. It was finally time to find out where Cadence Cartwright really came from.  
  
"The nurse? I'll go see the nurse. Thanks for your concern!" he answered in a fake cheerfulness, pushing past the Ravenclaw third year and rushing toward the hospital wing.  
  
Time to get answers.  
  
A/N: Hmm. who left the box? Well, don't review and yell at me because you don't know. Make that up for yourself! 


	10. Handprint on the Door

Chapter 10  
Handprint on the Door  
  
Cadence sat in a stupor while Harry huffed and puffed the first ten minutes he was in her room.  
  
"What is wrong?" she asked for the eightieth time.  
  
It still didn't explain why he had burst into her room, a wreck, when only an hour before, he had left with a smile so broad she was sure it'd be years before it was gone.  
  
She stared at him the first few minutes he was in there. He was breathing heavily, his face wet as if it had been stained with tears, and his eyes red. He was trembling and could barely speak. His emotions were somewhere between fury, depression, and shock. Cadence couldn't decide which it was. All she knew was that Harry's behavior was scaring her.  
  
It became evident on her face after a while and he started to calm himself down. Cadence sat in her bed, books and papers heaped about her. She had almost finished all of her homework before Harry had burst in.  
  
"Harry. you're really scaring me, what's going on?"  
  
Harry said nothing, as she had expected him to, and paced in front of her bed. "Cadie," he finally whispered. It was almost as if he was saying her name to calm himself down.  
  
"Harry. what is going on? You're acting as though you've seen a ghost. a fairly scary ghost," she said, remembering the many translucent beings that floated around the Hogwarts castle.  
  
Harry again remained silent before walking slowly over to the edge of her bed. He fished into his pocket, fingering the large necklace in his shaking hands, and then pulling it out.  
  
Cadence stared at the necklace and jumped backward. "Where. where did you get that?"  
  
"Cadie," he said her name in that same way again. This time though, he continued. He sat down on the bed and noticed that Cadence held a hand to her heart. "I'll tell you where I got it as soon as you tell me what happened the night your parents died."  
  
Cadence's brown eyes lifted onto Harry's contorted face. How dare he say such a thing, she thought to herself. Where did this come from?  
  
Yet as she thought it, she knew for sure that she was being unfair to Harry. After sharing every single bit of his history with her, all of his journeys, tales, adventures, and struggles, she didn't have the decency to tell him the truth about what happened that fateful night.  
  
She looked up at him slowly. All she could manage was, "What?"  
  
"Cadie," he whispered for the third time. It was as if the mere sound of her name made him composed. "I don't know how to begin. all I know is that I want to know every bit of you, up and down, inside out, upside down and right side up. I couldn't handle the fact that you knew everything about me and I knew nothing about you. It's hard to talk about, I know, but I needed to know. It was starting to hurt."  
  
Cadence felt a stab in her heart as he said the word 'hurt.' To know that she had caused hurt in the one person she truly loved was enough to make her open her mouth and spill everything.  
  
"And I don't know if you've noticed, but whenever people hear your name. they stop."  
  
Cadence had of course noticed. She'd noticed all too well. What with Hermione, Ron, and Colin Creevey, she knew for a fact that her name was well known, and she knew for a fact why.  
  
"And you even knew my name," he said it with so much venom that Cadence was taken aback. She stared at him for a second. "Think really hard about this Cadence. Why do so many people know my name?"  
  
Cadence had to stop and think. She had only heard part of the story of Harry Potter. She had heard his name used sparsely in her home. She remembered a hushed conversation between her parents when she was about ten or eleven. They were talking about Harry Potter and how he was attending Hogwarts. Bits and pieces came back to her.  
  
"He's in his first year?"  
  
"Yes, that's what it says here."  
  
"Will he be safe?"  
  
"Apparently he's got plenty of protection there. More than he had at the first place he was staying. With those Muggles."  
  
"Why would be expose himself to the wizarding world after what happened to his dear parents?"  
  
"He wasn't going to learn his skills any other way. The Muggles he was living with wanted nothing to do with Hogwarts, or wizardry as it was."  
  
"I just can't believe it."  
  
"We can't allow our sweet Cadence to be exposed to that world, not yet. Harry has more protection than Cadence ever will have. We have to be extra careful."  
  
Cadence answered after a long pause, "I don't know all of your story, Harry."  
  
"You don't know all of it?" he demanded.  
  
She sat and thought, and then, the pieces fell together. "The boy. who lived."  
  
Harry's eyes widened. "Tell me the truth, Cadie. Piece it all together. Why do people know your name?"  
  
She looked up at him, her eyes brimming with tears. "No."  
  
"Yes."  
  
"No, Harry, I don't want them to know."  
  
"People know, Cadie."  
  
"Harry. I don't want them to."  
  
"Cadie."  
  
"Wait."  
  
"Cadie, listen to me."  
  
"How did you find out?"  
  
"Cadie, you have to listen to me. Tell me the truth."  
  
"The truth? YOU want the TRUTH!"  
  
Harry sighed. It was happening. Everything Ron and Hermione had warned him about. it was now happening, and there was nothing he could do to stop it. "Cadie, please."  
  
"PLEASE? TRUTH?" Cadence was now livid. She sat up in her bed, clenching the blanket in her fists. "You want the truth when you've been lying to ME? YOU want the truth from ME, when you've been doing exactly the opposite to my face?"  
  
"I haven't been lying to you!"  
  
"Yes you have! Sneaking around behind my back, trying to learn about my history without telling me! I would call that lying!"  
  
"I wasn't sneaking. I had to know."  
  
"No you didn't."  
  
"You know all about me."  
  
Cadence didn't miss a beat. "Don't you dare turn this around on me, Harry Potter. I would have told you in due course, all you had to do was be patient."  
  
Patient. The word popped up on him again, just as it had from Hermione's mouth. Why couldn't I have listened? Why did that floorboard intrigue me so much? Why? Why?  
  
"Harry Potter, I don't know why you didn't just wait for me to tell you. I would have been fine with telling you everything! I would have said what I needed to say, I would have given you all of my background, but no! You had to go snooping around for it!"  
  
Harry listened to the formal tone her voice took with him, almost as if she had forgotten who she was with him. Tears crept to his eyes, but still, she couldn't see him cry.  
  
"Where did you find that necklace?"  
  
"It was in a vault. in the library. under the floorboards."  
  
"Under the floorboards? Vault? Library?"  
  
She knew now that he had been sneaking around, so he might as well have given her the whole truth about how he had come across the truth.  
  
"I'm so sorry, Cadie. I wanted to know why everyone knew you. I was curious. I needed to know more about you. I wanted to know more about you. I didn't know how to ask. I knew deep down that you were going to tell me in your own time but it wasn't enough for me, and I'm so sorry. I went to the library. I asked Ron for help. tonight I was looking. Hermione found me and yelled at me for sneaking around and not trusting you to tell me. I realized she was right and I was leaving, I swear. I swear I was walking away when I got caught on that loose floorboard."  
  
Cadence watched as he fidgeted. It didn't matter to her how much she wanted to hold him, clean him up, tell him everything was okay. She was too angry and felt so betrayed. He had dared to go sneak around, trying to find information on her, like some spy?  
  
"My curiosity got the best of me, I fished around inside of the floorboard and found some kind of box. It was sort of like the one you showed me today, with all the pictures. But this one. it was strange. The more I had this box in my possession, the uglier and more gruesome it got, evil almost. There were pictures. Old pictures. There was one of my parents." Cadence gasped, "and the same one you showed me of your parents."  
  
Cadence stared at Harry, not wanting to believe him, but she knew that he wouldn't lie to her about something so important. "W-W-What?"  
  
"It was that wedding picture. but old. and almost like it was starting to turn evil. The same with the picture of my parents."  
  
Cadence couldn't speak.  
  
"I saw this in the box," he said, gesturing to the necklace in his hand. "And I saw that my mother was wearing it. and so was yours. I forgot to put it back, so I grabbed it. Then I wanted to know. What happened?"  
  
Cadence stared at the necklace and then back up at Harry. She ventured to get out from under the sheets of the bed and as Harry tried to stop her, she pushed him off.  
  
"I'll tell you everything, just make me one promise."  
  
Harry's heart almost leaped for a new hope. "Anything."  
  
"Get out as soon as I'm done."  
  
It was the seven words that felt like his undoing. "Cadie, I don't understand."  
  
"It's not that complicated, Harry. You lied to me, you snuck around on me without my knowledge, betrayed my trust, and I need some time to think without you around," and as Cadence said the words, she felt a piece of herself dying.  
  
"Think?" another word that would be his undoing. "About what?"  
  
"It's not about us. it's about me," she whispered, and she knew she was being honest. He had done something so wrong and so deceitful, that she was going to find it hard to forgive him. She knew he had done it for his own reasons. It didn't make it any more right, but he had meant no intentional harm upon her. What she truly needed was time away from him to collect herself so she could forgive him sooner. but he couldn't know that.  
  
"What do you mean, think?" he asked her, a sudden frenzy in his heart. He had to know what she was going to do. Was she going to completely terminate the relationship? How could she? Did she not feel the things that he felt whenever he was with her?  
  
"Harry," she whispered. "I need to have some time to myself to think about where things are starting to go. and where they are right now. I need some time without you around to know whether what you have done is going to affect me."  
  
Harry felt his heart break in two. He had no idea that things could have happened like this. Again, he felt the tears in his eyes, but still couldn't let her see that he was in distress. Until the end, he had to be strong.  
  
"Tell me what happened," he whispered.  
  
"All right," she whispered back. She looked away from him and felt herself travel back in time. It was so cold. so dark.  
  
"The boy who lived. the boy who lived." she repeated. "You may have been the boy who lived, Harry. but no one ever said anything about the girl who survived." She paused and didn't notice that Harry's eyes were wide. "I'm sure there are just rumors of my family's escape. That's probably why my name isn't as widely known as yours. Everyone assumed that Lord Voldemort had finished off everyone except for you, but no one remembered that a family of three had heard of the possible attack and fled everything they ever knew to live in a strange but safe country.  
  
"I grew up in America and I was only an infant when my parents came here. I wasn't aware of the struggles they had adjusting, but fortunately enough, we made our way back into the wizarding world without really being noticed. My father and mother continued their jobs from where they were and we built our wizard homestead steadily each year. By the time I was ten everything was done and ready. I started Quidditch training, and I didn't start my actual witchcraft schooling until a year later.  
  
"It was wonderful, you know. I loved my studies and I absolutely adored Quidditch. My father had been a Keeper for Gryffindor and my mother had been a Beater for Hufflepuff. Quidditch was in my blood. My father instilled it into me at a young age and I found that being a Chaser was my best suit. My mother mostly controlled my studies, and by my fourth year she had told me that I was advanced enough to take my O.W.L.s early. So I did. She told me that if I had been going to Hogwarts, I probably would have been a year ahead of the children my age, mainly because it came as second nature to me. Almost everything did.  
  
"The only thing I didn't have was real friends. The only people I ever talked to were my parents and occasional pen pals I had through owl. That was never long lasting. My parents were very strict about where I went and whom I talked to. I was never sure why. Until that night.  
  
"It was so dark. so cold. so wet. It's imprinted in my mind as though it were yesterday. I woke up and thought it was a normal day, but my parents had been acting strangely. I didn't question it, I just carried on with my normal Quidditch training. my normal routine.  
  
"But it was almost evening when my parents screamed at me to get in the house. there was a storm. they didn't want me out there. They were screaming bloody murder. I can still hear the terror in their cries.  
  
"I didn't know what was going on. I was too scared to say anything. I landed and ran right into the house. Within seconds, the doors were sealed and my parents were huddling against me, cooing and coddling me, telling me they loved me, telling me that if anything were to happen, I should flee as soon as possible. I shouldn't ask questions, I should just run. I was scared, I feared for my parents' lives and my own. I cried. I asked questions like 'Why? What is going on?' and they told me everything. Why they had never let me out of the house and why we weren't living in England. I knew there was something strange about why we were in America. They always talked about England like it was the greatest place to be raised. They told me the whole truth. Even things I don't want to share with you.  
  
"They told me about you. They told me there was one boy who survived and he was already in Hogwarts. They told me that if I was ever to meet him, I should probably stay away. Trouble would follow us. I cried. What did that mean? Why would I meet you? Why would I come to Hogwarts? My mother. she was wearing that necklace.  
  
"I didn't know what to think, I just lay there in a puddle of my own tears, clinging to my parents like they couldn't let go. I didn't know what else to do. I was scared.  
  
"It all happened at once, hours, but it seemed minutes, later. The entire house began to tremble and the front doors blew off and the whole house grew dark. I felt something in my heart. like some kind of evil had overcome me. My head throbbed. I wanted to run like my parents had said for me to do. I wanted out. I wanted to leave as soon as possible, but I wanted my parents right there with me. I couldn't leave them. I had never been more scared in my life.  
  
"My mother stood up and told me to run. I told her no, I wasn't going anywhere without her. She ordered me to run. My father did as well. I couldn't see much, but I heard a voice. My parents stood in front of me as if they were shielding me. I remember my mother screaming, 'You won't take her!' My father was screaming the Killing Curse and whoever was standing in front of them was cackling.  
  
"In a flash. I saw my mother bend over. She took off her necklace and threw it. Another flash. I saw my father fall. I screamed. My mother looked at me and on her face was the look I'll never forget as long as I live. It told me how much she loved me and would miss me. She said, 'Run' before she too fell.  
  
"And so I did. I ran so fast and so far, Harry. I was almost out of the city before I stopped. I didn't even bother to look back. I was too frightened. I don't remember much after that. all I remember is waking up in some strange room. My grandmother was there with some unfamiliar faces, and they told me what happened. I apparently had collapsed on someone's front lawn and then immediately taken to the hospital. They sent an urgent owl to my grandmother in England.  
  
"I was spared the details. but it didn't matter. I knew all of them."  
  
Tears were now flowing freely down her cheeks and she stood at the window of the hospital wing. It seemed as though everything had happened all over again.  
  
"I don't want to ever live that day over again, Harry, that's why I spared you the details," she whispered.  
  
Harry didn't know what to do. He wanted to go hold her, he wanted to tell her it was okay. He wanted her to know that he felt the same way about losing his parents. It was a wound he didn't want opened. He wanted to cry with her.  
  
But he couldn't. He had to leave.  
  
He stood up and walked over to her. He stood almost a foot away from her, watching her pale blonde head lean over the cool window toward the night. He knew that her cheeks were the sweetest shade of rose and that her dark chocolate eyes shone with the mist of her tears. Her small, soft hands caressed the cool glass and her tiny frame panted as she breathed up and down. She was so beautiful and so unique, and he could see it in one vision.  
  
But it hurt so badly to know that he had lost all of it just because of his stupid curiosity.  
  
"Cadie." he began.  
  
"Don't call me Cadie," she shot angrily. The only light left in his eyes died. "Leave."  
  
The words were so cold and so bitter that they shattered every hope he could have ever had in his heart. His mouth dropped open and his extended hand faltered. "What?"  
  
"You made me a promise, Harry. I can't have you here now."  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"Harry." she half chuckled, half sniffled. She didn't turn around. "You betrayed my trust. I need time to convince myself this love is worth my heart being lied to."  
  
The daze that he had tried to pull out of was becoming a cloud, raining upon his head. He stepped backward, his green eyes glinting in the pale light of the hospital wing.  
  
"When can I see you again?" he whispered.  
  
"I don't know," she said back. "I'm going back to classes next week. I'll meet you in the common room the night I'm coming back."  
  
"Next Monday?" he asked.  
  
She nodded. "Go."  
  
He couldn't say much else, so he walked toward the door and finally, he turned to stare at the beautiful figure he could make out in the window. He left, tears streaming down his cheeks so hard he could taste them on his tongue. He stared at the closed door and pictured her in his mind, standing in front of that window. Would he ever again know the sweetness of her touch? Would it always be different?  
  
"Harry?" she whispered. She stepped away from the window and turned to see that he had left. She turned back to the window for a split second, felt fresh tears pour down her face, and walked slowly toward the door. She stared at it, picturing Harry walking away.  
  
Lightly, she raised her hand and pressed it palm down on the door.  
  
Harry could almost feel the heat from the room on his own hand as he pressed it closely toward the door.  
  
And in unison, they whispered, "I love you." 


	11. Forgiveness

Chapter 11  
  
Forgiveness  
  
The end of the week couldn't come soon enough for Harry and Cadence. The two of them wanted nothing more than to see each other, and to spend time together, but Cadence knew she had decisions to make about Harry. After what he did, things were going to be a lot different.  
  
Yet no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't bring herself to tell him that. She had to appear hard and tough, as if there was some sort of outer shell that couldn't break. However, he had already seen that the hard core had been chipped. He had seen her cry and break down. It was too late to pretend now.  
  
Staring out the window of the hospital wing at the Quidditch field was as close as she could get to Harry at that point. At seven each night, she struggled to pull herself out of bed, walked over to the window, and pressed her head against it. She watched the team zoom in and out with one missing Chaser. Her heart ached to see them struggle with an absent player, but they were doing great anyway.  
  
Her heart leapt whenever she saw Harry zoom around on his Firebolt. He was unmistakable. He was the only player on the team with jet-black hair. He was the broadest player and had the fastest broom. It was impossible to miss him.  
  
She hadn't caught a full glimpse of him until the night she was to meet him in the common room after she left. She had all of her homework done, and she had only suffered minor scrapes and bruises. Madam Pomfrey had insisted to Dumbledore that she be kept longer for observation. Her ribs were bruised and her wrist was sprained. Luckily enough, she had not suffered anything severe.  
  
It was Sunday night and Quidditch practice was going longer than usual. Harry and the team wouldn't be in until at least nine or ten. She had a lot of time to go meet him and even time to drop off her books in her dorm. Her only fear was of what she would tell Harry when she did see him.  
  
Her heart pounded within her chest. She packed up her things and Madam Pomfrey came in to tell her she was free to go. Then, she was gone.  
  
It was almost a dream walking in the halls again. The fresh air as opposed to the musty smell of the hospital room was joyous. She couldn't believe how much of a difference it made in her spirit to just walk out of the room and down to her own.  
  
There were many students studying in the library, the common room, and the Great Hall. She smiled, happy to be out and about again.  
  
Her heart hammered in her chest when she thought about what she had to do in a matter of hours. She was nervous to see Harry but anxious all at the same time. All she could help but ask herself was whether or not Harry would remember.  
  
How could I forget?  
  
He flew around the Quidditch field, gripping his broom as if it were the last bit of hope he had left. He sighed heavily, blowing the whistle on his neck. The team skidded to a halt in mid air and flew over to him.  
  
It was now late November; the air was growing unbelievably cold and thin. His teammates had red faces, chapped lips, and wet eyes. They wanted nothing more than to go into the castle and warm up. Due to the weather, their muscles were locking up and had somewhat hindered their performance. Harry noticed this, and he too began to feel the cool air nibbling at his face. He hadn't noticed it before because of the overwhelming thoughts that consumed him.  
  
"Why don't we take it in for the night? We'll be back out here at seven tomorrow," he announced, clutching the end of his broom.  
  
The team exchanged silent cries of joy and all flew to the ground, where they dismounted and ran like mad back to the castle.  
  
Harry watched them go, and slowly let himself drift downward. He was going to see Cadence tonight and was nervous and excited all at the same time. He hadn't gotten a good full glimpse of her face since the last night in the hospital wing. Of course he had walked by there many times, hoping for some peek at her, but he was never allowed access.  
  
He had seen what appeared to be her figure at the window, staring out intensely. She had her head pressed up against the pane of the glass, her fingers extended. His eyes had caught the girl in the window a couple of times and each time she looked away. He would have given anything to fly up to her and.  
  
He barely saw it the ground coming and almost crash landed. He lifted the end of his broom and flew up a little, then slowed down a bit to get a soft landing. He stopped, dismounted and carried his broom slowly next to him.  
  
He bit his lip, staring up at the window he had always seen Cadence staring out of. Tears formed in his eyes. He would have done anything to get her back. He wasn't sure how he was going to handle it if she had decided not to have him around anymore.  
  
It was too much to bear. The tears almost dripped down his cheeks before he dried his eyes and shook it off.  
  
Can't cry in front of her. It can't appear as though I've cried. I have to be strong, no matter what decision she's come to.  
  
He headed back into the castle at a brisk speed, making the decision that if anything, he needed to see her face. To be in the same room, the same space, to be close to her. no matter what she had to say. was worth it.  
  
He put his broom away in his dorm, took off his Quidditch practice gear, and changed into normal clothes. He sat on his bed for a long time. Harry noticed as he looked around that there was no indication whatsoever that Cadence had been in his life. There was no memento, no evidence, no small tokens of love. nothing. If he died that night and Cadence had decided she wanted nothing to do with him, there would have been no way to prove that she had been in his life, even for the smallest measurement of time.  
  
He looked down at his trembling hands and then back up at the door. It was time. The hour was approaching nine and the dorms were starting to fill up. If he wanted any time alone with Cadence, it had to be soon. There wouldn't be much time left if he dawdled any longer.  
  
He stood up on two shaky legs and walked out of the dorm room. As he ventured down the stairs, he saw Ron coming toward him.  
  
"Harry," Ron whispered. Harry had not spoken of what he had done or what had happened, but in this case he didn't have to. Hermione and Ron knew, and neither of them said anything. It would have been cruel to taunt him with 'I told you so.' They read it in his face that he'd learned his lesson and didn't need to be told otherwise.  
  
"She's down there, Harry and the room is empty," he whispered, giving his friend a pat on the shoulder as he walked up the stairs.  
  
Harry felt his heart beating against the walls of his chest, as if trying to get out. Suddenly, he was rooted to the spot where he was standing. He turned his head slowly and called out, "Ron?"  
  
Ron stopped and looked back at his friend.  
  
"Thank you."  
  
Ron knew the 'thank you' Harry was referring to was not as simple as letting him know Cadence had been downstairs.  
  
He smiled and said, "I know what it's like, Harry." With that, Ron disappeared up the stairs and out of Harry's vision.  
  
Harry let out a deep breath and traveled down the rest of the length of the stairs and stopped right before he entered the common room. Two or three first years passed by going up the stairs, exchanging the usual 'Look! It's Harry Potter!' between each other. However, Harry barely noticed.  
  
What he saw at that very instant changed his world forever. It was almost as if an angel was walking through the common room. The face shape, the body frame, the long, pale blonde hair. it was as if she had been there, waiting forever. Even if the news she had to deliver could be grim, it didn't matter.  
  
"Cadence," he whispered out loud. It was more to himself than to anyone else, but was loud enough for her to hear.  
  
She whirled around, her long hair flowing behind her, almost in slow motion. Her dark eyes were lit up by the fire behind her, her pale cheeks a rosy color, the pink lips he loved so much were pursed as if she were in deep concentration.  
  
He had noticed how beautiful Cadence was before, but he had never to any extent ached for her as he did at that moment in time. He wanted to delve right into every single part of her. She was everything he always wanted.  
  
She made no move to say anything. She only stared at him longingly.  
  
In truth, she wanted nothing more than to run up to him, jump into his arms, and forget everything that he had done. He looked lost and lonely, as if for years and years he had searched for something that he never found. She wondered if that unfound object was her or not. She prayed for it, she begged for it. she ached for it. She had never known a burning that bad inside of her.  
  
"Harry," she whispered finally. It was like music to her ears. She closed her eyes slowly, allowing it to sink in and rest in her soul. She opened her eyes and realized that Harry was directly in front of her, staring deep down into her with the jade green eyes that had always been so easy to read. It was obvious now what he wanted. "Cadence. I've been thinking about you." It sounded great in his head as he thought about it, but now that he had said it out loud, it sounded terrible, almost juvenile.  
  
"I've been thinking of you, too," she answered back truthfully. They shared a strained silence. Neither of them had wished for this. "I've been doing a lot of thinking, Harry."  
  
His heart jumped again in his chest and he sighed heavily. He closed his eyes and prepared himself for the worst. "Then what is it?"  
  
"It's not as simple as a verdict, Harry. It's more complicated than that," she whispered, and then looked about her. She suddenly found herself taking Harry's hand in her own.  
  
Harry's thudding heart slowed to normal speed when he felt her hand in his. Maybe there was hope. "Let's talk somewhere quieter," was all she said before they left the common room and went down the corridors.  
  
They walked hand in hand silently the entire way out of the castle and onto the grounds. He was sure he knew where they were headed, and she took her time leading him there.  
  
They arrived to their Clearing minutes later, and Cadence let go of Harry's hand, sitting down in the grass. Harry sat next to her. They sat for a couple of minutes, watching the unicorns before she cleared her throat.  
  
"I considered what you did a betrayal because you did it without my knowledge."  
  
Harry said nothing.  
  
"You did some things behind my back, and I know that it will take a long time before I can fully forgive you for that."  
  
Again, Harry remained silent.  
  
"I realized, though. it wasn't the fact that you had done all that without my knowledge that really bothered me. I understand your reasons, even though that doesn't make it any better. You only wanted to get to know me, whereas I was being stubborn. That would have come with time and I can see your point of view. What I'm terribly distressed about though. is the fact that it's like it brings shame to my parents' names because of it."  
  
At great length, Harry finally spoke. "What do you mean by that?"  
  
"I don't want my parents to become some kind of famous legend. I want what happened that night not to be remembered as some celebrity event. I want people to remember it as heroic. They saved my life. Your sneaking around, trying to find information about them only made it seem that they were a story. not my parents."  
  
"Cadence, I would never."  
  
"I know, I know! That's what I realized. but I had to tell you that's how it made me feel."  
  
"I'm so. so sorry, Cadence. I never meant to cause you so much harm."  
  
"I know," she sighed, not looking at him. "It's my family's honor that was hurt in my eyes. not me."  
  
"Cadence, I never wanted to hurt you."  
  
"Harry! I know!" she broke in fiercely. He jumped back. "It was the principle. You betrayed my trust, you snuck around. but I finally understood after that. You weren't doing it to exploit my family name. You were only doing it to find out about me. and me alone. That's why I can forgive you."  
  
No words had ever sounded sweeter to Harry's ears than those. He wasn't sure what to do, but before he could make the move, Cadence scooted closer to him and took his hand.  
  
Suddenly everything was perfect.  
  
After a while of watching the unicorns, Cadence had rested her head on Harry's shoulder. He rested his head upon hers and closed his eyes. So this is heaven, he thought to himself. I could stay like this forever.  
  
"Harry?" Cadence whispered.  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"I don't want this to sound scary or anything, but," she answered, leaning up and looking him in the eye, "I want you to know that I'm going to be here forever. I'm not going anywhere. Whatever you want to know about me, I'll tell you." And after a slight pause, she looked up at him dreamily. "And you can still call me Cadie."  
  
Harry smiled. He put his left hand softly on her face, stared at her for a few seconds, and then leaned in to kiss her.  
  
A noise sounded from behind them, breaking the contact of the kiss. They looked in the woods behind them. They stayed frozen in place for a few minutes before they heard another noise.  
  
"We have to get out of here," Harry breathed quietly.  
  
Cadence was now paler than before, clinging to Harry with a grip so tight his hand began to ache.  
  
They slowly stood up, pausing for a few seconds until they heard the noise again. Harry looked all around, wrapping his arms around Cadence protectively. She trembled viciously.  
  
"Let's run," he whispered, and within seconds, they began to sprint.  
  
Neither of them knew they could run as fast as they were. They couldn't recall the pain they were feeling, the cramps in their legs, and the short gasps their breaths were now coming in. They had to get out. For whatever reason, the noise they had heard before grew louder and came closer. Cadence started to falter, crying for breath, sobbing in her throat.  
  
It happened almost in a flash. Cadence let out a loud cry and went falling forward, gripping her side.  
  
"CADIE!" Harry screamed, throwing himself down beside her.  
  
Cadence couldn't speak. She mouthed wordlessly to Harry and then fell lax beside him. Though her breath came in shallow heaves, it was enough. Harry lifted her into his arms and huddling her body close to his own, he ran full speed out of the forest.  
  
He didn't hear any other noises until he heard his own footsteps echoing in the vast, empty halls of Hogwarts. He wasn't even sure where he was heading until he found himself outside of the hospital wing. He vaguely remembered banging on the door, screaming for help. yet he did remember the blood all over the front of his favorite green sweater, the one he had worn for her. It was all over the nice khakis he had worn. for her.  
  
He stared at Cadence while rooted in one spot. She had a small gash on her right side, which was where all the blood had come from. It made no sense. so much blood for such a small cut.  
  
He was forced out of the room minutes later, but he stood outside of it, just staring. What was happening? Was Cadence still alive? What would he do if he had just gotten her back only to lose her again? Who had done it? 


	12. Flash

Chapter 12  
Flash  
  
Fortunately enough, Harry found out hours later that Cadence was fine. He had been told to return to his dorm, but it was as if he couldn't move from the spot he was in. He didn't notice that Dumbledore, McGonagall, Madam Pomfrey, and assorted professors had slipped into the hospital wing.  
  
He was shooed away from the wing so many times that he lost count. It was like he was standing in a daze and couldn't be woken until he saw Cadence. Finally, after a long period of standing in the same place, Dumbledore reappeared and spoke to him softly.  
  
"Would you like to see her, Harry?"  
  
Harry looked up at Dumbledore as if he were transparent. He nodded absentmindedly.  
  
"She is sleeping right now," he answered quietly. "You can ask her what happened later. Professor McGonagall will explain it to her as soon as she is alert enough to understand. It is up to Cadence's discretion to then tell you." Dumbledore stepped away from the door, allowing Harry access.  
  
He walked forward, his arms hanging stiffly at his sides. He felt like some kind of machine, almost as if he were hollow. He opened the door to the room and paused. He looked up at Dumbledore, as if to ask him how he knew why he was there. Dumbledore only nodded.  
  
Harry entered the room and walked up to the bed quietly. Seeing Cadence lying in the bed, paler than the sheets only wrenched his heart. He sat down in the chair next to her bed. He took her cold, limp hand in his own, kissed it softly and stared at her.  
  
"I love you so much," he whispered. "Don't leave me now, I can't lose you."  
  
She stirred in the bed and he kissed her hand one more time. He let a tear flow down his cheek and wiped it away as he headed out.  
  
It was only two days later Harry received word that Cadence was finally awake. He visited her every day like before, and asked to be informed the minute Cadence woke up. It was after his Defense Against the Dark Arts class that Madam Pomfrey appeared outside the classroom.  
  
"She's awake," she told him.  
  
His relief took over his face. "Can I see her?"  
  
"Yes, come along quickly."  
  
Harry left immediately with Madam Pomfrey. They arrived at the hospital wing within minutes and Cadence was sitting in her first hospital bed, her head propped up on the headboard, surveying the ceiling. She looked up just in time to see Harry happily bounding into the room. A smile she didn't think she'd feel again burst upon her face.  
  
"Hi!" she greeted cheerfully, slowly pulling herself up.  
  
"Oh, don't do that on a count of me," he said, kissing her forehead as he sat down. "So. how are you feeling? Are you okay? What hurts?" he asked, taking her hand eagerly.  
  
Cadence laughed whole-heartedly, tipping her head back to do so. Her mouth glittered and made Harry's heart excitedly dip into his chest.  
  
"You worry too much! Calm down! Now, what are you doing in here already? I just woke up!" she said, delighted to see him in there so soon.  
  
Harry's face was bright with a smile that he knew would never go away. "I was there when everything happened, and I didn't leave until I got to see you. I asked Dumbledore if they'd tell me right away when you were awake so I could see you. Here I am."  
  
Cadence stared at his handsome, grown up face and knew that everything she had been missing since her parents had died was now staring at her. He was there and she hoped with every fiber of her being that he never left her side.  
  
"I love you," she whispered.  
  
Harry leaned in, kissed her, and smiled. "I hope you're not in here for too long."  
  
"Me either."  
  
It was mid December before Cadence left the hospital, and when she did, Harry helped her get back to her dorm. The other students in Gryffindor were surprised with her changed demeanor. It was as if no one had met her before. She glowed with a new light and smiled constantly. Everyone had noticed how she had kept quiet, yet as soon as she was removed from the hospital wing, she was a different person.  
  
Cadence missed her Care of Magical Creatures class immensely, and Hagrid told her that he thought she knew enough of unicorns to stop giving her independent study. It was unfortunate that she would no longer get to spend time with Hagrid, but the open two hours she could spend with Ginny. She missed talking to her very much. Ginny had come up to see her a lot and always recapped her when she dropped off the homework Cadence had to do. They usually talked like nothing had happened. Ginny was studying for the O.W.L.s like crazy, so it was pointless to go out and fly around on the Quidditch field when Cadence was already on the team and had practice every night.  
  
This gave Cadence an extra two hours after classes to spend time with Harry. She had already started brewing up things to get him for Christmas, but she was blanking in a way no one had ever done before. She started to become frustrated with it. Fortunately, she came across something that solved all of her problems.  
  
In the midst of the madness of having Cadence back, Harry had completely forgotten to ask her what really had happened in the forest. He was scared to ask, but he knew better than to be scared of anything anymore. The scariest thing had almost happened already. He had almost lost her.  
  
Harry and Cadence decided they were going to devote their time to each other while they still had it. He wanted to talk to her about it, but he wasn't sure how to get the words out of his mouth.  
  
Their day together was going to begin on a Friday. precisely the Friday right before Cadence would leave for Christmas break from Hogwarts. It really hurt her to spend time away from Harry, but she needed to be with her only family as well. She hadn't seen her grandmother in what seemed like years. She and Harry decided to exchange presents the day they were going to spend together, and Cadence made the perfect present for him. Harry was also confident in what he had gotten for Cadence.  
  
They met up after classes in the common room and decided that for two hours, they were going to take a romantic walk around Hogwarts. Cadence had not actually seen the entire site of the castle. They walked hand in hand as Cadence stared in awe at all of the things Harry showed her. He smiled and enjoyed her enthusiasm, squeezing her hand whenever he thought something she said was worth hearing. He stared at her profile while her jaw dropped and her dark eyes glittered. They talked quietly, held each other close and occasionally stole a kiss.  
  
Harry even showed her a secret passageway that he used in his third year to sneak into Hogsmeade when he had no permission to. Cadence knew Harry so well she didn't need to be reminded of any of his adventures. As soon as they came across the hallway, she knew where they were.  
  
He took her outside and they stood by the Forest, staring in. Harry knew this was his opportunity as he saw the pained look on Cadence's face. He looked down at her hand and rubbed it soothingly and then looked back up into her eyes.  
  
"What happened that night in the Forest?" he whispered.  
  
Cadence quickly stole a glance at Harry and he saw a flash of tenderness lingering in her eyes. "I'll tell you, Harry," she whispered after consideration.  
  
He said nothing. He let her begin.  
  
"I only remember what happened vaguely. I remember running like mad and holding onto you. I thought my life was over, then I remember something sharp and painful sting my side. I felt something warm on my hands. I knew I was really hurt and then. it all faded. I saw you and it was gone."  
  
Harry looked at her side and smiled. It had been so long since the accident that he wasn't sure if she was hurt anymore. She never mentioned it.  
  
"After you left, Professor McGonagall came in to talk to me. Hagrid gave us special permission to go into the Forest, so she wasn't going to take any points. She said that it's become a dangerous place for the two of us to be in. We can no longer go venturing out there on our own accord. She explained to me why when I tried to argue.  
  
"Harry. that necklace you found. like I told you, it used to belong to my mother. Your mother was the only other person who owned a necklace like that, but it was lost when. on the night. well you know. And there were only two of a kind. These were special necklaces apparently; they were large in size because they're supposed to hold a spell of any kind. That's all McGonagall would tell me about it. and I know there's more. I just can't figure out what it is. She said that if these special necklaces were to fall into the wrong hands, the spell within no matter how wonderful and light would be tainted.  
  
"She explained that not only were there these two necklaces, but also a special key that opened the spell. Apparently there was one holder of the key, but the holder of the key went spoiled, became vengeful, and wanted to get his hands on the surviving necklace.  
  
"So when whoever this was learned that I had the missing necklace, they came back with the key and decided that they were going to." she sighed. "This is where I might lose you, Harry."  
  
"What are you talking about?" he asked, surprised at the steadiness of his voice. The story was shocking, but he remained calm.  
  
"Whoever it was wanted to kill me, so they poisoned the key and made sure to hit me while we were out in the Forest. Whoever this could be is still out there."  
  
Harry bit his lip and looked out at the Forest. He felt himself brewing. Whoever wanted to take Cadence away from him was an automatic enemy. Somehow though, standing in the cold, red nosed and chapped lip, standing as close to Cadence as he was, it didn't matter. Nothing did. It was only Cadence and Harry.  
  
He smiled at her, and whispered, "Somehow. I don't think anyone has control over you being with me anymore. Except for me."  
  
He kissed her then on the cheek, took her hand, and led her away from the Forest. He cast a wary glimpse behind his shoulder when he was sure she wasn't looking. They headed into the common room to open the presents they had for each other.  
  
They sat down close together by the fire and talked for a few minutes. Harry jokingly broke in, "Okay! What did you get me?"  
  
Cadence tipped her head back and laughed the way Harry loved watching her laugh. Open mouthed, eyes sparkling. "Well, let me show you," she said, getting up from her seat on the floor and pulling up a large box from underneath the huge Hogwarts Christmas tree. She put the box beside him and smiled as he opened it in curiosity.  
  
He gasped as he pulled out a fairly big box of chocolate. "This," Cadence explained, "is thanks to Ron. He told me why you liked it, so I decided that when I'm not around. you can have this chocolate with you to make you feel as good as you make me feel."  
  
Harry's eyes glittered and he smiled at Cadence. "Thank you." He set the box down and pulled out the next gift, which was a green sweater. "I know what you did," she whispered. "And I knew this was your favorite sweater. So I got you another one."  
  
He smiled sweetly at her and then reached into the box for his final present. As the last of the wrapping paper fell limply from his hand, he breathed, "Oh. wow."  
  
"I found this in that box of pictures," she said, looking over Harry's shoulder.  
  
"Is this.?" he asked, touching it lightly.  
  
"Yes it is. I found a frame that resembled the one you liked so much and put this picture in it. I had no idea that they were friends."  
  
"It makes sense," Harry sighed, looking at Cadence and then back at the picture.  
  
He would never have guessed that his and Cadence's mothers had been best friends at Hogwarts. They were wearing the matching necklaces in the picture, and it was obviously Halloween. They were outside the Great Hall, one was wearing cat ears and the other devil horns. They were laughing and play fighting, yelling 'Take the picture!'  
  
"This is wonderful, Cadie." he whispered.  
  
"I thought you'd appreciate it more. I knew what my mother was like."  
  
Harry stared at her for a second and then kissed her on the cheek. "Thank you so much. It's wonderful."  
  
He continued to stare at the picture. Cadence brought him back to reality by saying, "So, what did you get me?"  
  
Harry set the picture next to his other gifts and stood up. "Well. it's nothing I could wrap, so here," he told her, handing her a card.  
  
She frowned at him. "What do you mean?" She opened up the card and nearly dropped it as she read it.  
  
"So?" Harry asked with a sly smirk on his face.  
  
I couldn't wrap your present, but your baby unicorn will be waiting in Hagrid's hut. You can go and visit her after you read this card.  
  
I love you!  
  
Me  
  
Cadence put her hand to her chest. "How. when.what.?"  
  
"Hagrid told me that as soon as a unicorn gave birth, I could claim one of the babies for you. I figured you'd appreciate that more than anything I could ever give you of a material nature."  
  
"Oh, Harry." she breathed, staring at the card. She surprised Harry by screaming for joy and jumping onto Harry, covering his face with kisses. They laughed together for a few minutes and then Cadence popped up, grabbing her cloak. "Let's go see my unicorn!" she exclaimed.  
  
Harry laughed and followed her lead. They surprised Hagrid and went in to visit the unicorn. Cadence couldn't believe her eyes. She was so beautiful. She was small and gold as babies usually were, and warmed up to Cadence right away. She smiled widely  
  
"So, Cadence," Hagrid said cheerfully. "What dya think yer gonta name 'er?"  
  
Cadence smiled up at Hagrid and then back at her unicorn. She stared at the face of her small treasure and then looked back at Harry. "Flash."  
  
"Flash?" Hagrid and Harry said in unison.  
  
"Yeah," Cadence answered. "Why not?"  
  
"I don't know. I think the real question is why?"  
  
Cadence laughed at Harry and said quietly, "Because it was only in a flash that I realized whom I was meant to be with." 


	13. Library Confessions

Chapter 13  
Library Confessions  
  
After a wonderful night spent together, Harry and Cadence truly knew how they felt about each other. The two of them shared love unlike any other. It was not until Cadence sat down to think about it that she realized she was only fifteen and Harry only sixteen. They still had a lifetime together. Now it was worth thinking about because she knew who she was going to spend that forever with.  
  
It filled her with deep sorrow the next day to pack up her stuff. She was leaving on Sunday to spend time with her grandmother. She missed spending time with her, but didn't want to leave Harry. Since she had woken up that day, she'd visited Flash several times, and had seen Harry a record amount for only being awake for two hours.  
  
She smiled to herself as she folded her clothes and packed them in her trunk. She would only be gone for a couple of weeks and she was certain that she and Harry would owl each other constantly. Hedwig never had much to do during the holidays.  
  
After she had stuffed the last of her socks and sweaters into her suitcase, she sighed heavily. It was further indication that she'd be leaving Harry soon. It was really a pain having to leave, but it wasn't as if she was leaving for good.  
  
She walked out of the dorm and down the stairs, remembering she wanted to pick up a few books for reading over the holidays. She figured while she was away from school she might as well do something worthwhile.  
  
She saw no sign of Harry as she made her way down to the library. The halls were beginning to thin as people left for the holidays. Cadence had asked her grandmother permission to come home on the latest possible day.  
  
The library was cold and drafty, but inviting nonetheless. She saw no one and decided to look around, seeing as no one would bother her. She rifled through the titles, not noticing anything that called out to her.  
  
"Adventure. fantasy. horror. what do I want?" she whispered to no one in particular, pulling out various books and putting them back again.  
  
As she continued on the line of fiction books, she began to think about her time spent at Hogwarts. It was time well spent. She had made friends like she had never known before. Ginny was the most wonderful person she could ever befriend. She was completely understanding and always there for her, no matter what.  
  
She met Ron and Hermione, two characters that made her smile whenever she was around them. They were so playful with each other that it was obvious whatever force had brought them together was a strong, friendly one. They had fallen in love in the midst of being friends and made Cadence believe in true love.  
  
There were other various people she had met that she would have never known. Hagrid was easily her favorite teacher, his class being her favorite as well. He was so congenial that she couldn't help but feel good in his presence.  
  
She had never met people as hard pressing and influential as most of her professors. Of course, assorted professors could be excluded from the final vote, but all in all, she was satisfied with the way her learning process had been handled.  
  
Then there was Harry. Everything she never knew she wanted had been sitting right next to her on the Hogwarts Express. He looked almost as lost as she had. She knew the reason she was lost. She had been pulled away from a life she had always known and thrown into a completely new world.  
  
"Not today," she muttered, putting the book back she had chosen amongst others. She continued to search through the many books and let her mind drift back to Harry.  
  
It was such a wonderful feeling, thinking about him. She had never known a stronger feeling than when she first laid eyes on Harry. The bright green eyes and messy dark hair all made the feelings inside of her jump and twist. She felt like shouting that she had finally found a person that she could relate to better than anyone she ever had before.  
  
Harry made her come alive. She didn't recall smiling a whole lot until Harry had offered her a seat that day on the train. She peered into his soul and it was as if she knew. It wasn't a feeling she could well explain. Something in her heart clicked and everything fell into place. All she had to do from then was get to know this person better and she was still insistent on doing just that.  
  
She slammed the last book shut and frowned, frustrated. She wasn't going to leave without something good to read over the holidays. She wandered out of the section and found herself face to face with the one person she feared being in contact with the most.  
  
Draco Malfoy.  
  
"Cadence Cartwright," he sneered nastily.  
  
She stopped dead in her tracks, prepared to turn back around. She stared at Draco's pale face, his blue eyes glittering with a mist of evil. He cracked a smirk.  
  
"What are you doing in here?" she whispered.  
  
"I came to be by myself, but obviously I'm not alone," he said, throwing his head back in a cocky way. "Care to join me?"  
  
I'd rather eat my hand, she thought to herself. "No."  
  
He only smiled. "Are you afraid Potter might ruin the moment? Walk in on us?"  
  
"What exactly is it you think we'll be doing?"  
  
Draco only cackled evilly. "You wish you knew."  
  
Cadence rolled her eyes disgustedly. "Well, whatever it is you think we're going to do, do it with yourself," she replied and turned on her heel to leave the library.  
  
"Cadence, wait!" he said with an urgency she hadn't heard in his voice before.  
  
"There is no way I am waiting for you," she spat, keeping her distance.  
  
Draco somehow managed to catch up to her and grabbed her by the arm.  
  
"Don't touch me!" she screamed at him.  
  
"No, Cadence, listen to me," he pleaded. Something had overtaken him and it wasn't the usual crudeness that he exhibited. It was almost worth stopping for.  
  
"I don't know if you deserve it," she said softly, remembering the comment he had made in the Great Hall.  
  
"I know I don't," he said. "Just give me two seconds."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Because you're Cadence."  
  
She stopped in her tracks and looked down at her feet. He was right. She wasn't being very fair, no matter who she was talking to. She had to be better than him.  
  
She turned around and faced Draco. "Two minutes. That's it."  
  
He stepped up to her, staring down at her in his menacing way. "You don't fancy me."  
  
"How'd you guess?" she scoffed, crossing her arms.  
  
"It was a little obvious when I saw you around Potter all the time."  
  
Her blood boiled. She never liked the direction this conversation took. "Oh?"  
  
"It was obvious that first day on the train. I had never seen someone look as adoringly as you did at him. The same goes for the way he was looking at you. I've known that boy for six years and I have never seen him happy."  
  
"What does this have to do with anything?"  
  
"I never wanted to be so rude to you," he whispered, sweeping his pale hair back out of his eyes. "It was Potter that I was really upset with."  
  
"About what?" she sneered.  
  
"Various reasons," he said, looking away and then back at Cadence. His light blue eyes landed on her own. "The one thing I was most upset about was the fact that he won out."  
  
"Won out what?" her interest was peaked.  
  
Draco looked down at the ground; back up at her, and then toward the door. "He won you."  
  
Cadence's mouth opened as she stared at Draco. He shook his head and went to step around her.  
  
"Draco," she called, turning around, watching him leave.  
  
He spun on his heel and gave her what looked like a sullen smile. "It doesn't surprise me. He wins everything. Even if an evil guy does have a feeling in him that he's never known for a beautiful girl. I guess it pays to be good."  
  
And with that, Draco ran out of the library.  
  
Cadence watched as he left and then looked back down at the floor where they had both been standing. It almost seemed as if she had seen a side to Draco that no one else was allowed to see. 


	14. Family History

Chapter 14  
Family History  
  
Christmas came and passed. Harry had never missed anyone as much as he missed Cadence that year. He sent her owl after owl and waited eagerly for her reply. Since she wasn't very far, it only took Hedwig and Sierra a few hours to deliver messages.  
  
Harry had spent most of the time reading, sitting in front of the fire in the common room, thinking about Cadence and the way things had gone since he met her.  
  
Since he had first come to Hogwarts, he felt completely empty. He didn't have the family that everyone else had. Instead of feeling like the celebrity everyone treated him like, he felt like he was only a little boy, walking in the world with no one's hand to hold.  
  
Yet his sixth year at Hogwarts had changed that. He got on the train with his things, as was usual of any year. He sat with Ron and Hermione on the car like usual, but this year things weren't usual for those two. It had happened in his fifth year.  
  
Both of them had been growing close for the entire span of fourth year summer. It made Harry happy to see someone finally finding another person to connect with on that level. It only made sense that it was Ron and Hermione. It happened gradually and before either of the two knew it, they were in love. Things really changed the first time Ron got up the nerve to kiss her.  
  
Harry smiled as he stared into the fire. He remembered Ron and Hermione both running to him with their separate stories.  
  
"Harry, I kissed her."  
  
"You actually kissed her?"  
  
"Yes," Ron turned as red as his hair.  
  
"Well, when did it happen?"  
  
"When we were studying in the library. I had my book open and I didn't understand what I was doing, so I leaned over to ask her what the answer was. She looked up, looked me straight in the eyes, and I knew it was time. Then I did it."  
  
"Well, what do you think?"  
  
"I think there's something in Hermione that she's not saying aloud."  
  
"You thought that too?"  
  
Harry laughed at how frantic Ron had gotten. He was beet red, fidgeting, and nervous, but it was definitely good. He was a new Ron Weasley. Hermione had always been very quiet about real feelings and mostly stuck with her books and homework. But when she described what happened to Harry, he realized that things were definitely taking a good change in his friends.  
  
"Ron kissed me."  
  
"He told me about it."  
  
Hermione appeared not to have heard it and continued. "I never expected him to act on the feelings that I have been having. it's completely mad don't you think?"  
  
"Well, I."  
  
"I had a feeling that something of the sort would happen. It only makes sense that a common attraction would open between two people who have been close for so long."  
  
"You see."  
  
"The thing is though is that this kind of feeling. the feeling I got when Ron kissed me that is. it's nothing I can explain logically. Does that sound mad to you? It's actually completely unexplainable."  
  
"Yes."  
  
"And it scares me that I can't describe it to you from some book. Like it's out of my reach, you know? I like that, like I can't look up what I feel for Ron. It makes me nervous and excited all at the same time. Does that make sense?"  
  
Harry only laughed at Hermione.  
  
They had both become different people since they discovered each other, but Harry liked it that way. It had taken a while to get used to the fact that he would never be able to single one person out anymore. That was why he knew that the train ride to Hogwarts would be a lonely one. Ron and Hermione had already begun the process of talking to each other excitedly and lovingly, in a way that Harry envied. He had wished for someone as special as that, but he doubted it would ever happen.  
  
The first thing he realized as soon as he entered that train car was that his life was going to change. Everything was going to be different for Harry in his sixth year at Hogwarts. He didn't realize how until he sat down by a lonely blonde girl in the seat. It all made sense after that.  
  
His life took an abrupt turn as he guessed it would after meeting Cadence. He had never expected to fall in love so deeply. Since his first year, no one had ever been as kind and loving to him as Cadence had been within the span of a few months.  
  
Christmas break was soon over, and Harry had gotten much accomplished in his time at the castle. He waited anxiously in the lobby of Hogwarts when he received word from Cadence that she was on her way back. It would only be a matter of hours before she returned, and Harry wanted to be the first person she saw when she did.  
  
As soon as the doors opened and Harry saw Cadence's face, he broke out into the largest smile he could muster. She did as well, throwing her things down and running straight for him. He lifted her up into his arms in a huge embrace and squeezed her against him tightly.  
  
"It feels like it's been years since I've held you in my arms," he whispered into her ear.  
  
"I love seeing my grandmother," she said back. "But I have to admit, time with you is not well replaced."  
  
"Never," he said, holding her close and then grabbing her stuff to take back to the rooms.  
  
They spent the next few days before everyone got back from their family's houses together. They talked and laughed, got help from each other on their homework, and spent silent nights sitting together on the couch. The last day they were alone together they decided to go out and play Quidditch no matter how bad the weather.  
  
After a two-hour game in the blistering cold, they fell onto the snowy field, laughing so hard they could hardly breathe. They ran back into the castle, changed out of their cold, wet clothes, and sat in front of the fire.  
  
The attendants of the school began to fill back in. Harry and Cadence simultaneously groaned. They liked their time alone together, but things had to go back to normal.  
  
Classes resumed the following Monday.  
  
Cadence and Ginny got the chance to talk like they had never talked before, explaining to each other how their holidays had gone, what they had given and received, and how much they had missed each other while they were away.  
  
"I loved your present by the way," Ginny said to Cadence. She pointed her ears in the Cadence's direction. "I needed some earrings." They were gold and went well with her hair color.  
  
"Oh, that's good! I really loved your present too," she said, smiling. Ginny had given her a picture of Harry and her playing Quidditch. It was of the goal that they had scored together. It was sitting on the nightstand in her dorm.  
  
They talked quietly for a few more minutes before Professor Sprout began the lessons for the day. After class, Cadence and Ginny walked back into the castle, laughing together. "I definitely don't miss Herbology," Cadence commented.  
  
"I can't say that I'm looking forward to Transfiguration either," Ginny said under her breath. They giggled as they stepped into class.  
  
It seemed to be the longest two hours of Cadence's life as she anxiously waited for lunch. They disappeared into the Great Hall minutes after class had ended and both of them vanished from each other within seconds. Harry was already seated at the table, staring up at her expectantly. She rushed over toward him and sat next to him almost immediately. She pulled out her stuff, kissed Harry on the cheek and started a conversation.  
  
Cadence and Harry met outside the Great Hall as they usually did after classes, took each other's hands and walked back to the common room. Cadence told Harry that she had something to show him she had received over the holidays.  
  
They wandered into Cadence's dorm and settled neatly on her bed. She reached underneath her things to pull out her box of memories. She opened it and dug through the pictures. She handed them all to Harry and told him to look hard. He did as he was told, realizing he had completely missed his mother in almost every single picture.  
  
"What is this?" he asked breathily.  
  
"That is my mother, Ashley Lynn Smith. I believe your mother's name is Lily."  
  
Harry nodded. "I thought that picture you got me for Christmas was amazing, but this is truly something. I can't believe how close they were."  
  
"Neither could I," Cadence answered, digging under her bed again. "But apparently, they were close enough for this," she said, pulling up an old, dusty diary. She opened to the first page.  
  
" 'Second of November. I am at Hogwarts in my first year, and not only do I find it the best place I could ever be, but I also have great friends. I met a girl named Lily. She's very sweet. I enjoy my classes, and I like the house I am in. The people are nice and the classes can sometimes be hard, but I am having a lot of fun,' " Cadence read. She skipped through the pages a little and came to about the middle.  
  
" 'Eighteenth of May. Lily said the funniest thing today. She told me that she has a crush on James Potter! I thought that was really funny. James is really nice too. I made fun of her for it. She just told me to shut up. I didn't listen. I kept teasing her. She got really mad and ran away from me. I apologized later on. I didn't mean to make her mad, but I thought it was funny that she liked someone already. There are a lot of cute guys to choose from.' "  
  
"That's amazing!" Harry exclaimed. "Where did you get that?"  
  
"My grandmother gave it to me for Christmas. She thought I might enjoy reading it, seeing as how you and I were so," she cleared her throat, "close."  
  
Harry smirked at her. "Read some more."  
  
She smiled excitedly at him. "I read the entire thing and I marked off a page that I thought was so unbelievable. I had to share it with you."  
  
She opened the diary toward the back and smiled as she read. " 'Twentieth of September. It's only been a few weeks since we got back to Hogwarts, but Lily and I have decided on something. Since we both have boyfriends now (sigh. Jeffrey) and we're in our seventh year at Hogwarts, we're starting to think about where we want to go afterward. We both want to get married and have children. Lily and I decided that (as a joke) no matter what happens, our kids are going to get married. Isn't that funny? Chances are that won't ever happen, but we decided for arguments sake that they would, just to keep the family line going!' "  
  
The two laughed out loud and Cadence closed the notebook. "How pleased would they be if they could see us now?" Harry asked.  
  
The laughter died down and Cadence set the book in between them. "You can borrow that whenever you want, you know. It contains your family history as well."  
  
Harry looked up at Cadence and caught her glance. They stared at each other for a few minutes before Harry whispered, "I love you."  
  
The way he said it was so full of passion that Cadence couldn't help but lean in and kiss him. 


	15. Questions Unanswered

Chapter 15  
Questions Unanswered  
  
Quidditch practice started up again as soon as the snow had melted. Harry went around to every dorm, waking up the players and telling them that they were due to be down at the field early Saturday morning.  
  
There was some protesting but Harry was firm on winning the cup this year. Extensive and crucial Quidditch hours were to come within the practice time. Cadence worked harder than she had ever worked before. This time, all of her efforts were actually going to be put forward into something.  
  
On a Sunday night they had finished practicing and Cadence was more tired than she had ever been before. She landed in front of Harry and he only laughed at her.  
  
"Tired, my dear?" he asked, putting his arm around her.  
  
"A little, you might have to hold me up while we walk," she said, grabbing Harry's outstretched hand.  
  
"I have no problem with that," he sighed.  
  
They were both caked with mud from the field. Due to the warm spring weather and melting snow, the field was in a muddy mess. None of them seemed to mind, however.  
  
"I have to take a nice hot shower tonight," Cadence said, looking down at her robes.  
  
"You've got quite a lovely spot on your cheek as well," Harry said, rubbing it off gently with his fingers.  
  
"Oh thank you, dear," she shot back sarcastically.  
  
"You're most welcome," he said, smirking confidently.  
  
They said nothing as they walked into the castle together. Relishing the last few moments they could spend together before they had to part, Harry let his arm droop down to her hands and clasped them firmly around his own.  
  
Cadence smiled to herself and walked closer to Harry. They entered through the portrait hole and stood in front of the separating stairs.  
  
"I guess this is where we say goodnight."  
  
"I guess it is."  
  
There was a silence that passed between them for a few minutes and Cadence stepped a bit closer to Harry. She raised her hands and laid them on his chest as she usually did when she was close to him. Harry put his hands on her arms as Cadence leaned her head forward. Harry tilted his down and they locked lips.  
  
Cadence pulled away and realized how close to Harry's face she was. She smiled, raising her hands to feel the soft texture of his face. She felt his arms tighten around her waist, pulling her closer. Their lips touched again, softly and slowly, and then Harry broke apart this time.  
  
"I'll see you tomorrow morning," Cadence whispered.  
  
He lifted his hand and slowly traced her jaw line. "I love you."  
  
"I love you, too."  
  
They headed for the separate stairs, never taking their eyes off of each other. Then, as if on cue, they turned their heads and headed up.  
  
Cadence sighed once she reached the dorms, throwing off her robes and heading for the showers. She didn't notice that Ginny was sitting on her bed.  
  
She cleared her throat. Cadence jumped.  
  
"So immersed with Harry that you don't notice your best friend sitting on your bed?"  
  
Cadence turned around. "I didn't see you, I'm sorry. I need to take a shower before I go to bed tonight. Is something the matter? I figured you'd be asleep by now."  
  
"I almost was," Ginny answered, stirring uncomfortably on Cadence's bed.  
  
"What are you talking about?"  
  
She stepped closer and Ginny jumped up, as if startled by something.  
  
"What is it?" Cadence asked suddenly. "What happened?"  
  
"Well, like I said, I was almost asleep," Ginny started, wringing her hands together. "And I found that I couldn't quite get there, but I remembered you had made something in Potions to aid in sleeping. While I was searching through your things. well. I. um."  
  
"Out with it!" Cadence said, getting frustrated.  
  
"Here," Ginny said, showing Cadence that she had accidentally knocked over the picture of her mother and father at their wedding. The glass was in a million different pieces, the frame was bent, but the picture was unharmed.  
  
Cadence bent over and started to collect the pieces as Ginny started hastily explaining. "I'm so sorry, Cadence! I didn't realize I hit anything until I heard it crash to the floor! I've been up here for at least an hour trying to explain how to tell you. I'm so ashamed. I shouldn't have been going through your things."  
  
Cadence stood up and laughed at Ginny. "There's no need to worry," she said, putting the pieces on her nightstand. "The picture isn't scratched. The frame and glass are fixable."  
  
Ginny looked at Cadence expectantly. "So you're not upset?"  
  
"Not really, accidents happen. As long as the picture is fine, then I don't mind," she said, smiling.  
  
Ginny sighed in relief. "Thank goodness! I was nervous for a second there."  
  
"I'm sure you were," Cadence said, grinning. She reached into her nightstand and pulled out the potion. "Now get to bed," she said, nudging her along.  
  
"Thanks, Cadence."  
  
Ginny disappeared and Cadence took her shower, which was long, hot, and well needed. She put on her pajamas and headed to her bed.  
  
Sitting down slowly, making sure no pieces of glass had somehow ended up in bed with her, she settled herself nicely and sighed. It had been a long day and they were only going to get longer. Quidditch practice was more rigorous each day. All Cadence had to do was work hard and achieve what she set out to do.  
  
There were other things plaguing her mind as well. She hadn't told Harry about some of her troubles. She often thought about what Professor McGonagall had told her that night in the hospital. She had given only a brief account of the situation at hand, but she had not explained or elaborated at all. Maybe she thought it best that Cadence not know some things.  
  
Cadence needed to know, though. What did the necklace have to do with anything dark or evil? How had it become evil? If it was evil, Cadence wanted nothing to do with it. She had to get it out of her possession as soon as possible. She had enough hanging over her head as it was.  
  
She stared at the necklace. It was sitting on her nightstand, as if staring at her. It was either ready to be taken, ready to be opened and studied, or ready to be cast aside. Cadence still debated on what to do.  
  
Searching through the notebook, Cadence found the spell that Harry's and her mother had put into it. It was a friendship spell, a spell that would keep their souls bonded together for years and years. Cadence smiled, hoping that both of them shared that same kinship wherever they were now.  
  
Yet something puzzled Cadence. Professor McGonagall told her that if the necklace had been tainted, no matter what kind of spell was inside of it became evil, even the strong friendship spell their mothers had put inside of it so long ago. That still didn't explain what had become of the second necklace, however. All McGonagall told her was that it was lost on the night Lily Potter had been killed.  
  
As Cadence began to add everything up, she jumped out of bed with a sudden urge to hold the necklace, slipped on her robe and slippers, and ran out of the dorms. It was only nine-thirty and the rules said everyone had to be in bed by ten. By this time most students were going up to their rooms, but Cadence was determined to figure out what everything meant.  
  
She raced out the door and ran to Hagrid's cabin. She noticed the dim lights inside were still on as she pounded on the door. "What is it?" came the voice inside, and the door swung open. "Oh, hi there, Cadence. What're ya doin here?"  
  
"I have a question. May I come in?"  
  
"Was that the question?"  
  
She shook her head and ran underneath Hagrid's arm, taking a seat on one of his chairs. He saw that her hand was clutched in a fist and frowned as he sat at the table in front of her. "What've ya got there?"  
  
She opened her hand to show him the necklace. Hagrid's face turned ghostly pale. He leaned forward to get a better look. "Is that.?"  
  
"It's the necklace my mother owned, and the same one that Harry's mother had. You obviously know what this is about, don't you, Hagrid?"  
  
Hagrid stood up and walked toward his fireplace. "I dunno."  
  
"Yes you do! Please tell me!"  
  
Hagrid sighed, looking at her from his place by the fire. "Cadence. you've been learning an awful lot 'bout unicorns, ay?" Cadence nodded. "Ya know well 'nuff the color of a unicorn's blood."  
  
Cadence looked down at the necklace. "Silver," she muttered.  
  
"Tha's right," he said, sitting down at the table again. "Now listen ter me Cadence, I'm not gonna give ya straight answers, right? I can't. This isn't a matter ya want bringin ter me."  
  
She stared at him. "What do you mean? I don't understand!"  
  
"Figure it out, you're a bright girl you are."  
  
She stared at the necklace. She remembered the story about Harry's first year at Hogwarts. Her mouth dropped open. "Do you mean. that when Voldemort attacked my mother. he put his spell in the necklace?"  
  
"Ay," Hagrid answered. "I told ya, yer a smart girl. Now, let me ask ya this. Do ya want to have something as dangerous as that in yer possession?"  
  
She shook her head almost before he finished the question. "Best to be getting rid of it."  
  
"But how?"  
  
He stared at the necklace for a few seconds and then sighed. "I'm not sure."  
  
Cadence left Hagrid's cabin, thanking him over and over again for his help. It was almost time to be getting into bed, and she had enough information to remain satisfied. However she wasn't satisfied in the slightest. If something so evil had come into her possession, she definitely didn't want it! If Hagrid didn't know, then who did?  
  
Sitting down on her bed, kicking off her slippers and robe, Cadence sighed dejectedly. She set the necklace down and picked up the picture of her mother and father. A tear came to her eye.  
  
"I miss you so much," she said quietly, touching the face of her parents.  
  
As she ran her fingers over it, she noticed something bumpy on it she had never recognized before. She frowned and turned over the picture. There was a letter on the back and it was in her mother's handwriting. It was addressed to her.  
  
'My dearest and most precious Cadence,' it began. 'It may seem odd to receive a message like this now, but trust your mother on this. You have my necklace with you, and for whatever reason you are reading the back of this picture, the frame has been broken. If the necklace is to ever become spoiled with the curse of You-Know-Who, make sure to destroy it as soon as possible. I'm sure that if anything were to happen to us, your grandmother would take it upon herself to send you to Hogwarts. If you are there, take the necklace to the unicorn clearing and throw it back into the pond. There it will be washed away, including the spell in it. Make sure you wash your hands in the river afterward so as to rinse any of the spell from you. I love you very much.'  
  
Cadence dropped the picture on the ground. It had been that easy from the beginning. She almost couldn't believe it. She looked at the necklace on the desk and decided that enough was enough. If she was going to do this, she was going to do it tonight.  
  
No matter what. 


	16. Death and Destruction

Chapter 16  
Death and Destruction  
  
Harry rolled over, touching his throbbing forehead. His scar woke him up it hurt so badly. He awoke with tears of pain rolling down his cheeks. He sat up, knowing trouble was on the way.  
  
He stared around the dark room and noticed that everything seemed to be in place. No one seemed to be in any direct danger, everyone was sleeping soundly, and nothing was out of order. The only sounds he could hear were that of his occupants deeply breathing. He sighed, getting up to walk around.  
  
The burning in his scar didn't go away. He bit his lip to overcome the pain, and as more tears seeped down his cheeks, he brushed them away violently. He couldn't cry. He just couldn't do it.  
  
Harry wandered around the dark room a few more minutes before walking over to the windowsill he had sat at for so many nights. Lonely thoughts had been collected at that window. It had been so long since he had sat there that he almost missed the spot. He had no need to be lonely anymore.  
  
He sat down, pulling his knees toward his chest. He felt the scar on his forehead pulse violently and just as he was about to close his eyes and hope the pain went on its own, he saw a light shine outside. It caught his attention almost immediately. He pressed his nose to the glass and notice the light coming from the grounds. Harry was notorious for having bad eyesight, but it didn't stop him from recognizing the face in the light.  
  
It was Cadence. He could never mistake her pale face, dark sparkling eyes and light, flowing hair. She looked around, her face lit up by the light at the end of her wand. Her head turned each way, searching to see if anyone was out there, and then she ran toward the Forest.  
  
Harry jumped up. He couldn't let her go into the Forest, especially so late at night. He ran toward his bed, pulling out his clothes, peeling his pajamas off quickly. He ignored the fierce pain in his head, throwing his shoes on, grabbing his wand and scarf, and then running out of the dorms quietly. He was intent on following the trail that Cadence had unknowingly led him on.  
  
Creeping silently out of the portrait hole and through the corridors, he whispered, "Lumos." The light allowd him to follow swiftly, dodging between large pillars so as not to be seen, and finally make it outside safely.  
  
He ran toward the place he had spotted Cadence. What business did she have going into the Forest? It wasn't as if she could just waltz in there any time she liked anymore. She was being foolish. He had to go and make sure nothing happened to her.  
  
His scar was starting to burn so badly that he almost couldn't breathe. He had to stop a few times and let it singe on his forehead. It hurt badly, but he was persistent. He had to press ahead. Cadence needed him.  
  
She didn't know she needed him though.  
  
Cadence peered into the Forest, making sure she hadn't been caught. No one was around and no one had seen her leave. She had managed to throw on her clothes silently, tuck the necklace into her pocket, grab her wand and blow out of the dorms before midnight had struck.  
  
She crept around with her lit wand, trying to get to the Clearing as soon as possible. She had to be quick so she could get back to the dorms and have the whole ordeal be over.  
  
She was scared. To be more honest, she was frightened out of her mind. She had already been warned to stay out of the Forest. She stopped quickly. She thought she heard something rustle in the bushes. Even though she had checked hundreds of times before leaving to be sure no one was following her, she felt that someone was following her. She was been sure to backtrack and check every possible hiding place, but she had found nothing. Cadence concluded that it was merely her nerves.  
  
Breathing deeply, she bent over and continued forward, moving along the narrow path The light from her wand was shaking visibly. She heard another rustle, this time, louder and closer. She jumped, looking behind her.  
  
"H-Hello?" she called in a hoarse voice.  
  
There was nothing.  
  
"Is someone there?" she called again.  
  
No answer.  
  
"I have to warn you. I do know a few curses. I'll be sure to make you aware of that if any bodily harm should come to me."  
  
She tried to make herself sound more confident than she felt. Suddenly, to her horror, she saw a faint light in the distance. It was coming closer. Her heart pounded in her chest as she backed up to turn and run. She stumbled, turned around, and ran for her life.  
  
Her heart pounded so heavily in her ears that she could no longer hear anything. She breathed heavily, holding her wand out in front of her, refusing to look back. She noticed that she was coming closer to the Clearing. She was going to hide from whoever was following.  
  
She made it the Clearing safely, but as soon as she had slowed, she saw the faint light coming still steadily. A startled cry came from her throat. She threw herself behind a bush, trembling with fear. The footsteps and the light came closer. It suddenly stopped right in front of her.  
  
Harry stood at the edge of the Clearing, looking around for Cadence. She couldn't have gone far within a matter of seconds.  
  
"Cadie?" he called out quietly. He looked around and yelled her name a few more times.  
  
Cadence peered out from behind the bush. It was Harry! How had he known she had was out there?  
  
She slunk out from behind the bush and whispered, "Harry."  
  
Harry gave a start and turned toward her. "Cadie!" he yelled. He ran directly toward her, throwing his arms around her and holding her protectively against him.  
  
"Harry what are you doing out here?"  
  
"I should ask you the same thing! You know the Forest is too dangerous for you! We have to go back!" he demanded.  
  
"Harry, you don't understand," she said, pulling the necklace from her pocket. "If I don't get rid of this right now, tonight. if I don't throw it out into the pond, Voldemort. he will come back."  
  
Harry's eyes widened behind his round glasses. "What?"  
  
"It's a long story. I'll explain it later. Let me get rid of this," she said, holding the necklace in her hand. "Let me throw it in the pond and on our way back I'll explain it."  
  
Harry's mouth dropped open. "I don't understand. what's going on, Cadie?"  
  
"Listen to me!" Cadence shouted with an urgency Harry had never heard before. "Let me throw it out!"  
  
Harry nodded slightly and Cadence moved around him and as she stepped over the grass that normally blocked their direct view from the pond.  
  
"Be careful," he croaked, holding his scar again.  
  
She made no move to indicate she had heard him. She moved silently around the unicorns, pulling out the necklace all the while as she did.  
  
Before Harry had a chance to react, a dark figure leapt from the bushes behind Cadence, tackling her to the ground. Harry felt as if he were rooted to the spot he was standing in.  
  
The figure that had landed on top of Cadence was strong and kept her arms pinned to the ground. She writhed and screamed, kicking at whomever was on top of her.  
  
"Get off of me! Get off!" she screamed in agony.  
  
Harry suddenly felt his legs move. He ran toward her, pulling out his wand as he did. He pointed his wand straight at the figure on top of Cadence and screamed, "Detubare!" The figure was hit with a sudden blast and fell backward. Cadence jumped up, pulled out her wand and pointed it at the figure. She backed up into Harry's arms.  
  
"Believe it or not both of us know some wicked curses," Cadence seethed.  
  
The figure backed up, and with a sudden flicker of movement, the person pulled out his own wand, standing at full length. The dark voice of the figure came from the shadow. "I don't know if that's necessary," it said. "For I know some Curses as well, and I'm not about to let some fifteen-year-old brat threaten me."  
  
Cadence backed up. Her arm went completely lax at her side.  
  
"The Killing Curse comes to mind."  
  
Harry stood in front of Cadence suddenly, not as resilient to the figure in front of him. "Whatever your quarrel is with this young woman, you will have to take it up with me first."  
  
"How brave of you Mr. Potter, but I have no quarrel with her. All I desire is a small token."  
  
"Of what?" Harry asked suspiciously.  
  
"The young lady you stand in front of knows of what I speak."  
  
Cadence sobbed. "I have nothing.  
  
"Indeed. What is this that lies at your feet?"  
  
Cadence looked down and picked up the necklace. "It is naught but a family heirloom," she defied. "Why should I give it to you?" she asked.  
  
"Because I much desire it."  
  
"You can't have it," Harry answered.  
  
The figure pointed his wand and shouted, "Adoriri!"  
  
A silvery light hit Harry in the stomach and he doubled over, wheezing and giggling slightly. Cadence backed up frightfully but the figure flew toward her, tackling her down again. He put his hand around her throat, reaching for the necklace.  
  
"Give it to me! Now!"  
  
Cadence choked and gasped, clutching the necklace in her closed, cold fist. She kicked at the figure wildly.  
  
"GIVE IT HERE!" the voice yelled.  
  
Cadence felt as though her life was slipping away. She tried to pry the figure's fingers off of her neck, but was unsuccessful.  
  
"Give me the necklace!" the figure kept one hand on her throat, the other groping for Cadence's hand. He clutched her wrist and banged her hand upon the ground, trying to release the stone.  
  
"Crucio!" Harry screamed, finally finding his voice. The figure on top of Cadence screamed, slamming her wrist and arm all around. Finally, with a landing snap, Cadence felt the necklace in her hand slam onto the ground and crack open.  
  
"NO!" she gasped, watching a swirling wind of gray smoke rise from the inside of the necklace.  
  
Harry was stunned for a few moments. Running over to Cadence, he pulled her out from under the writhing figure and held her in comfort. They stared at the swirling smoke and it finally took form.  
  
Harry's scar burned in agony and he gripped Cadence tightly. Tears of pain seeped from his eyes and he brushed them away again, not allowing the stinging ache in his forehead stop him from protecting Cadence.  
  
"Harry Potter."  
  
The voice was so evil that it made Harry's stomach churn. The new figure in the gray smoke pointed his wand at the writhing body, sending out a bolt of silver light. He stopped, gasping for air.  
  
"How cruel of you, Potter. I never would have suspected you of the Cruciatus Curse." The voice cackled evilly, sending a shiver up Cadence's spine.  
  
"What have you come for?" Harry asked, pointing his wand protectively upward, keeping one arm around Cadence.  
  
The figure stepped out of the gray smoke. Cadence and Harry could see clear as day that it was Voldemort speaking to them. "I have come for what I wish, Potter." He too, lifted his wand. "To see your destruction."  
  
"Wait a second," Cadence finally found the voice to speak. "If this is Voldemort. who.?"  
  
The three in company looked down upon the gasping figure. Cadence was now surprised at how clearly she could suddenly see his face. He had short blond hair, brown eyes a lot like her own, and his face looked haggard, as if he had done too much work for too long a time.  
  
"Do you not recognize your own kin, Cadence Cartwright?"  
  
The way he spat her name made Cadence shiver. She stared at the man on the ground but said nothing.  
  
"Your parents lied to you."  
  
Cadence looked at Voldemort now, a light flashing in her eyes. "What are you talking about? How dare you defy my parents after you so wrongfully took them from me!"  
  
"Wrongfully? WRONGFULLY?" he screamed, stepping closer to her now. Harry jerked the two of them backward. "They deserved the death I bestowed upon them!"  
  
Cadence now moved to pull out her wand but Voldemort was too quick for her. "I don't think that would be wise, child."  
  
She seethed, staring at Voldemort. "No one deserves death."  
  
"Explain that to your brother, Cadence," Voldemort whispered. "Tell him that the parents that threw him out of his own home didn't deserve the death they received!"  
  
Cadence's eyes widened as she stared down at the man at her feet. "Brother?"  
  
"He was only twelve when he found the path that led him to my calling," he explained. "And your mother and father wanted nothing of it. They cast him away at the age of twelve! Even though as young as your brother had been, the parents you had bestowed upon him the key that would lock the necklace of power. After casting him out of their lives, they foolishly forgot to ask it of him to bring the key back. It was as if they wanted no possession of his. Idiotic people. How had they not known something so valuable was in the hands of someone they considered so evil? Would you not wish death upon such people?"  
  
"Never," Cadence defied. "I would never wish death upon those that bestowed me life."  
  
"Some life it is! Look at the piteous creature now," Voldemort poked his wand in his direction. "Fourteen years he has served me loyally, and asks nothing more of me than the simple task of ridding the world of such hated creatures as your parents."  
  
"THEY ARE NOT HATED!" Cadence screamed.  
  
She broke free of Harry's grip, pulling out her wand and opening her mouth to begin.  
  
However, Voldemort was still too quick for her. He stepped backward and raised his wand. "You leave Potter in the open? He has for so long been a nuisance to me. I shall rid myself of this burden while there is still ridding to be done!"  
  
Voldemort raised his wand at Harry, and it happened as if in slow motion. No words escaped from Voldemort's lips as he shot the blast from his wand. Cadence knew what was to happen, and she didn't think before running in front of it, pushing Harry out of the way. Cadence felt the blast hit her in the back. She fell to the ground in agonizing pain. Harry watched as a fourth figure leapt from the shadows. He paid no attention. Cadence was hurt and lying on the ground, screaming in pain, fading. he could feel it inside of him. She was fading and he couldn't let it happen. 


	17. A Spell for Harry

Chapter 17  
A Spell for Harry  
  
"Cadie!" Harry screamed. His voice seemed to be so far off all of a sudden. He couldn't hear it coming from his own mouth.  
  
Cadence lay on the ground, holding her side. It was where she had been hit.  
  
"Oh, Cadie!" Harry rushed straight to her side, took her hand, and started to touch her face in a crazy attempt to keep her alive. "Cadie, don't fade from me! Don't leave me, please don't go anywhere! I need you here."  
  
Cadence had slowed her shouting and writhing and took a surprisingly strong grip on Harry's hand. She breathed heavily, looking up into Harry's bright green eyes. She smiled almost dreamily as sweat poured down her face. The usual pale light from her cheeks faded into a white pastiness. "Oh, Harry."  
  
"No, Cadie! Don't speak! You don't need to speak. Please, don't leave me, please don't drift off. You were only hit a little on the back. We can fix it."  
  
"Harry," Cadence gasped. She felt a shadow overtaking her, and all she wanted was to be near Harry. "Harry it's no use anymore. I feel it. I feel it coming."  
  
"Don't talk like that!"  
  
"It's happening, Harry. I don't want to leave you. but I don't want you to leave this life so early. You still have so much to offer the world. Don't turn your back on it now."  
  
A third voice could be heard next to Harry's. It was easily recognizable. The tone in this voice was the strange part.  
  
"Cadence. don't leave. Harry needs you."  
  
Harry looked up to see Draco bending over Cadence's body, staring her deep into the eyes.  
  
"Draco," Cadence whispered. "You have to leave."  
  
"I can't. You're hurt. You need to come back," he said quietly, not looking Harry in the eye. Harry however, couldn't take his eyes off of Draco. He also hadn't missed the fact that Draco had used his first name when speaking to Cadence.  
  
"What are you doing out here?" she asked, her speaking becoming slower and slower.  
  
"I saw you leave. I was wondering where you went. I followed."  
  
"Go back. I don't want you here," she rasped. Despite what she had said, Draco took her left hand and held it softly. "Harry," Cadence whispered.  
  
Harry looked down at her. "Cadie, shake this off! It's nothing! It'll be nothing. just stop talking like this. please? Please? Promise me you're going to stand up and walk away from this! Promise me! This is nothing! Promise me!"  
  
Frantic words spilled out of his mouth, but Cadence only giggled softly. "Harry, you were never one for acceptance."  
  
Harry suddenly felt hot tears creep down his cheeks so heavily that he was no longer sure how to conceal it. He let it happen. The tears drained down his chin. "I can't lose you, Cadie. I can't. You're everything to me!"  
  
Behind him, Voldemort gasped. "I can't lose you," Harry whispered.  
  
"I wish to stay with you, always," Cadence said, more slowly and breathy this time, pulling her hand from Draco's and placing it upon Harry's cheek. She stroked his face lightly and swept hair from his forehead. Her finger lightly traced his scar. It felt almost reassuring to Harry. He put his hand upon hers, pulled it down to his lips and kissed it gently. It was as if any touch of hers that he could take in, he took greedily.  
  
"Cras amet qui nunquam amavit. Quique amavit, crams amet*," she whispered as she peered into his eyes. "A spell for you, Harry."  
  
"I don't want to lose you."  
  
"I love you, Harry."  
  
Another gasp sounded from Lord Voldemort, but Harry paid no attention. He stared at Cadence. She had gone lax against him, and as he stared at her, he tried to make it so that it wasn't true.  
  
"NO!" he screamed, burying his face against her, sobbing uncontrollably. "No. Cadie. Cadie. I need you. I'm lost without you. no."  
  
"This can't be," Voldemort repeated over and over behind Harry as he sobbed onto Cadence's limp body.  
  
Draco sat next to Cadence, his head bowed down, so as not to let Harry see that he was crying tears of grief as well.  
  
"Another sacrifice? For Harry Potter? He is strong enough once again. it can't be. this can't be."  
  
After a few more seconds of sobbing, Harry stood up, wiping his eyes of the many tears he had shed. Draco stood next to Harry as well. The two of them stared down at Cadence and then slowly back up at Voldemort.  
  
Voldemort seethed. He stared at Harry and then at Draco. "This can't be."  
  
Harry looked at Draco. His blue eyes were fixed on Voldemort. Harry couldn't believe that after six years of fighting tooth and nail with the boy standing next to him, that for the honor of a woman they both loved, they would join forces.  
  
They pulled out their wands, pointed them at Voldemort, and stalked forward. Voldemort suddenly began to falter, backing up, staring at the two.  
  
He looked at the servant still lying at his feet. "DESTROY THEM!" he screamed.  
  
The servant jumped up, but before he could get the words out of his mouth, Draco beat him to it.  
  
"AVADA KEDAVRA!"  
  
A green light shot from the end of the wand, striking the servant in the chest. He hit the ground, dead. Voldemort stared down at his servant and then back up at the two coming toward him. In a blaze, Voldemort thrust his wand into the air, screaming unintelligible words. In a puff of smoke, he was gone.  
  
Draco and Harry stared at the smoke. He was gone.  
  
Waking up in the dim light of the hospital wing, Harry looked around. Draco was lying in the bed next to him, staring at the ceiling. It had been only hours after the attack in the Clearing. Harry had fallen into shock after everything was over and it had been Draco that carried Cadence's body back to the castle. He sent word that Harry was lying unconscious in the Forest.  
  
Hours passed that felt like years to Harry. He felt the emptiness that he had was sure he'd never feel again. It suddenly didn't seem fair that Cadence's life had been lost and not his own.  
  
Draco was silent. His tight lips were drawn together, his sharp chin pointed upward, his eyes watery.  
  
Harry looked around the hospital room. It was still early in the morning, but he wanted answers now. Where was Cadence? When could he see her? What was going on? He had never gotten the story. She had sacrificed herself too early.  
  
As if his thoughts were answered, Dumbledore, Professor McGonagall, an older woman, Ron, and Hermione burst into the room.  
  
Harry jumped. Draco looked up. "What is going on?" Harry demanded.  
  
"All will be explained in due course, Harry," Dumbledore whispered.  
  
"Not in due course. Now!" he screamed.  
  
Ron and Hermione rushed to his bedside, throwing garbled words at him. Hermione had been crying and Ron was in obvious pain.  
  
"Mr. Weasley, Miss Granger. please leave us with Mr. Potter for a few moments," instructed Professor McGonagall. They looked up at her and with sullen nods, they turned and left.  
  
"Where is Cadence?"  
  
McGonagall and Dumbledore exchanged hard glances. "Harry, this is Cecilia Smith. Cadence's grandmother."  
  
The older woman stepped forward and sat in the chair next to Harry's bedside. Harry propped himself up, staring at her.  
  
"Harry," she whispered. Harry's heart jumped. It was almost as if he had heard a remnant of Cadence in her voice.  
  
"Yes?" he whispered back.  
  
"I don't know why it happened, but I know why she did it," her grandmother took his hands as she spoke. She let the tears pour down her cheeks. "All I can do is thank you very much for making her the happiest girl I have ever known. When she came home for Christmas, she had a smile on her face that I hadn't seen in a long time. I know it was you that put the smile on her face. It was my daughter and your mother that planned it out so long ago. and it only made sense when I learned that you had lived and she had not."  
  
Tears poured down her face rapidly and Harry didn't know what to do. He sat and stared at her for so long, wanting to reach out and hug her, touch her. anything. Before he had a chance to do anything, she got up from him and walked from the room.  
  
Dumbledore sat beside Harry, staring down his long, crooked nose at him. "I know you're suffering, Harry. I also know your curiosity is peeked at this time."  
  
He said nothing. He looked down at the blankets and sighed heavily.  
  
"I know your questions need much answering, Harry, and I will answer them now. Cadence had set out to do something that was far past due. The necklace was a special craft made with unicorn blood. it was a treasured gift that your mother and Cadence's mother received once their friendship was greatly noticed."  
  
Harry finally found the strength to speak. "Who made them?"  
  
"It was I," Dumbledore answered. "I saw a companionship within them that could withstand the test of time. I knew that this pair could only understand the true magnitude of such a gift. They were made for a spell to be kept inside. The two of them came up with the friendship spell.  
  
"However, there was a key to the necklaces that I had crafted, to release the spell when it was needed. The bond between your mothers was so strong that the key never needed use. They decided to find a barer of the key, and Cadence's mother chose her first son to take on this task. He did it faithfully for many years.  
  
"The only foul thing about these necklaces was that no matter how strong the spell inside, with one hit of evil, the spell inside would become evil. The night your mother and father were killed, her necklace was destroyed."  
  
Harry looked around numbly. Death and destruction. how much of this had to go on?  
  
"The night Cadence's parents were attacked, she was fortunate enough to take the necklace and go. It had still been hit with a spell of Voldemort, tainting the spell inside. Her brother still had the key, and knew that if he took the necklace back and unleashed the spell, Voldemort could come back.  
  
"Therefore, the key holder was lurking out in the Forest after receiving notice that the necklace had come back to Hogwarts. He threw the key at Cadence so as to peek her curiosity and hopefully get her to open it. Cadence is a bright girl and figured it all out before her curiosity got the best of her.  
  
"The necklace could only be destroyed in the unicorn pond. Once Cadence had finally figured it out, she went to go do it. The necklace suddenly became of no more use once it was opened."  
  
Harry continued to stare at the sheet in front of him. He felt tears stinging at his eyes. He lifted his eyes up to Dumbledore. "How did you know?" he croaked.  
  
"Know what, Harry?"  
  
Harry looked back down at the sheet. Tears were now spilling down his face. "We meant to remain discreet about it. How did you know we were in love?"  
  
Dumbledore smiled at Harry. "It cannot be concealed from an old wizard so easily, Harry. Your mothers' friendship was a bond so close that it only made sense. Love can be read easily on the face."  
  
Harry looked up at Dumbledore, stared at him for a few seconds, and burst into tears. The old wizard leaned over, taking Harry in his arms. It was the first and last time Harry would cry as hard about anything in his entire life. 


	18. Active Memories

Chapter 18  
Active Memories  
  
Long had the last feast of the year been given. It was months after Harry lost Cadence and he had since accepted the fact that she was gone. He looked upon her memory as long living in his mind. He finally had true evidence that she had been in his life.  
  
Draco had not spoken to him since. He had not said a nasty or kind word to Harry. He had failed to even look at him.  
  
The Quidditch Cup Tournament had since been won, and in Cadence's memory, the team had played to the best of their ability and succeeded in victory.  
  
Harry had loved the feel of the cup in his hands, but not as much as he would have felt if Cadence had been clutching the other side of it. For a brief moment, she had been there, smiling, dirty in her robes, kissing Harry happily on the cheek.  
  
Harry sat in his small room at the Dursley's, doing his homework. The more he thought about it, the more he wanted to write to Cadence than do actual work.  
  
He sat staring out the window. He could see her face. he could see her eyes. her lips. her smile. Most of all he could see her smile. The look he loved about her the most. A full, open wide laugh that brightened up her cheeks and put a twinkle in her eye. The pale blonde hair flowing behind her shoulders, the button nose lifted high into the air, the pink lips turned upward. She was the most beautiful person he had ever known, inside and out.  
  
He put his hand on his cheek, staring at Hedwig. He wanted to give her another job, but wasn't sure where she would end up with it. Writing a letter to someone that was gone was going to be a tough job for his owl, but she was smart enough to figure it out.  
  
Harry had begun the letter, but wasn't sure how to end it. He stared at the parchment for minutes upon minutes, thinking to himself, what would sound good at the end? What would Cadence be most honored by?  
  
The thought suddenly flew to him. He jotted down the final few lines.  
  
Tears, idle tears. I know not what they mean, tears from the depth of some divine despair rise in the heart and gather to the eye. In looking on the happy autumn fields and thinking of the days that are no more.*  
  
Harry  
  
He folded the letter, gave it to Hedwig, stroked the back of her head slowly, and watched her fly away. As he saw the snow white wings take off into flight, he sighed heavily.  
  
Love wasn't something Harry Potter had received often. He knew well enough that the one time he received it as strongly as he had, it had been something remarkable.  
  
Cadence was remarkable. Cadence was his miracle, his Goddess, his life force.  
  
He received a letter back.  
  
And he dared to cry.  
  
A/N: Sorry for the sadness. And I also apologize for how out of canon it all is, but I must remind you that I wrote this about a year ago. Before we had any idea what JK Rowling had in store for us.  
  
*May he love tomorrow who has never loved before, and may he who has loved, love tomorrow as well. *Alfred Lord Tennyson, 1847. 


End file.
